# LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. I! 



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NOTES, # 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 
ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL 

TO 

THE THESSALOMANS, TO TIMOTHY, 
TO TITUS, AND TO PHILEMON. 



By ALBERT BARNES, 

AUTHOR OF " NOTES ON THE PSALMS," " LECTURES ON THE EVIDENCES 
OF CHRISTIANITY," ETC., ETC. 



REVISED EDITION. 



NEW YORK: 
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 

\ FRANKLIN SQUARE. 

18? 3. 



/ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by Abby A. 
Barnes and William Purves, Executors of the Will of Albert Barnes, 
deceased, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



i 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALOHANS. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



§ 1. The Situation of Thessahnica. 

Thessalonica was a city and sea-port of Macedonia. It was at the 
head of the Bay Thermaicus, or the Gulf of Thessalonica (see the map 
prefixed to the Notes on the Acts of the Apostles), and was, therefore, 
favorably situated for commerce. It was on the great iEgean Way ; 
was possessed of an excellent harbor, and had great advantages for 
commerce through the Hellespont, and with Asia Minor and the ad- 
jacent countries. It was south-west of Philippi and Amphipolis, and 
a short distance north-east of Berea. Macedonia was an independent 
country until it was subdued by the Romans. The occasion of the 
wars which led to its conquest by the Romans was an alliance which 
was formed by Philip II. with Carthage during the second Punic 
War. The Romans delayed their revenge for a season ; but Philip 
having laid siege to Athens, the Athenians called the Romans to their 
aid, and they declared war against the Macedonians. Philip was 
compelled to sue for peace, to surrender his vessels, to reduce his army 
to 500 men, and to defray the expenses of the war. Perseus, the suc- 
cessor of Philip, took up arms against the Romans, and was totally 
defeated at Pydna by Paulus iEmilius, and the Romans took posses- 
sion of the country. Indignant at their oppression, the Macedonian 
nobility and the whole nation rebelled under Andriscus ; but after a 
long struggle they were overcome by Quintus Csecilius, surnamed, from 
his conquest, Macedonius, and the country became a Roman province, 
B.C. 148. It was divided into four districts, and the city of Thessa- 
lonica was made the capital of the second division, and was the sta- 
tion of a Roman governor and questor. At the time, therefore, that 
the Gospel was preached there, this whole country was subject to Ro- 
man authority. 

The city, called, when Paul visited it, Thessalonica, was anciently 
called Therme, and by this name was known in the times of Herodo- 
tus, Thucydides, and ^Eschines. We are informed by Strabo that 
Cassander chans^. the name of Therme to Thessalonica in honor of 
his wife, who ww a daughter of Philip. Others have said that the 
name was given to it by Philip himself, in memory of a victory which 
he obtained over the armies of Thessaly. In the time of Brutus and 
Cassius it was a city of so much importance that the promise of being 
permitted to plunder the city, as the reward of victoiy, infused new 
courage into their armies. 

The city was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, and Jews. It adored 
many gods, but particularly Jupiter, as the father of Hercules, the al- 



vi 



INTRODUCTION. 



leged founder of its ancient royal family. It Lad a celebrated amphi- 
theatre, where gladiatorial shows were exhibited for the amusement 
of the citizens, and a circus for public games. The Roman part of the 
population was, of course, introduced after the conquest, and it is im- 
possible now to estimate the relative number of the Greeks and the 
Romans in the time when the Gospel was preached there. In com- 
mon with most of the other cities of Greece, a considerable number of 
Jews resided there, who had a synagogue at the time when the city 
was visited by Paul. Acts xvii. 1. Little is known of the morals of 
the place, but there is reason to believe that it was somewhat distin- 
guished for dissoluteness of manners. "The females, particularly, 
could claim little credit on the score of modest, retiring demeanor ; 
for this virtue was in so low estimation in the city that the place was 
selected as the scene of the wanton fancies of the satirist." (Lucian.) 
See Hug. Introd. 

The name of the place now is Saloniki. It is a Turkish commercial 
town, and contains about 70,000 inhabitants. Its situation and ap- 
pearance are thus described by Dr. Clarke. " The walls of Salonica 
give a very remarkable appearance to the town, and cause it to be 
seen at a great distance, being whitewashed ; and, what is still more 
extraordinary, they are painted. They extend in a semi-circular man- 
ner from the sea, inclosing the whole of the buildings within a peribo- 
lus, whose circuit is five or six miles ; but a great part of the space 
within the walls is void. It is one of the few remaining cities which 
has preserved the ancient form of its fortifications ; the mural turrets 
yet standing, and the walls that support them being entire. Their 
antiquity is perhaps unknown, for, though they have been ascribed 
to the Greek emperors, it is very evident they were constructed in two 
distinct periods of time ; the old Cyclopean masonry remaining in the 
lower parts of them, surmounted by an upper structure of brick- work. 
Like all the ancient and modern cities of Greece, its wretched aspect 
within is forcibly contrasted with the beauty of its external appear- 
ance. The houses are generally built of unburnt bricks, and, for the 
most part, they are no better than so many hovels." It is, however, a 
flourishing commercial town, from which is exported the corn, cotton, 
wool, tobacco, bees'-wax, and silk of Macedonia. It is the seat of a 
pasha, and has still among its population a considerable proportion 
of Jews. Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, who visited it in A.D. 1160, de- 
scribes it under the name of Salunki, and says that it was built by 
Seleucus, one of the four Greek nobles who arose after Alexander, and 
that when he visited it it was " a large city containing about five 
hundred Jewish inhabitants." " The Jews," says he, " are much op- 
pressed in this place, and live by the exercise of handicrafts." Itiner- 
ary, vol. i.,49, 50, ed. 1840. He describes it as having at that time 
more Jewish inhabitants than any other town in Greece, Thebes alone 
excepted. It is said at present to contain about 20,000 Jewish inhab- 
itants. Its favorable situation for commerce is probably the cause of 
the numerous assemblage of the Jews there. See Asher's ed. of Ben- 
jamin of Tudela, vol. ii., p. 42. Compare the Notes and Illustrations 
on Acts xvii. 1. The annexed cut, from Churton.and Jones on the 
New Testament, will illustrate the appearance of the city. 



V 



INTRODUCTION. 




THESSALO.NICA. 



§ 2. The Establishment of the Church in Thessalonica. 

The Gospel was first preached in Thessalonica by Paul and Silas. 
After their release frt)in imprisonment at Philippi, they passed through 
Amphipolis and Appollonia, and came to Thessalonica. For some 
cause they appear not to have paused to preach in either of the first 
two places, but went at once to the city of Thessalonica. That was 
a much more important place, and they may have been attracted there 
particularly because many Jews resided there. It was customary for 
the apostle Paul, when he came to a place where there were Jews, to 
preach the Gospel first to them ; and as there was a synagogue in 
Thessalonica, he entered it, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with 
the Jews in regard to the Messiah. The points on which he endeav- 
ored to convince them were that, according to the Scriptures, it was 
necessary that the Messiah should be put to death, and that he would 
rise from the dead, and that all the predictions on these points were 
completely fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. Acts xvii. 2, 3. A few of 
the Jews believed, and a much larger number of the " devout Greeks," 
and also a considerable number of females of the more elevated ranks. 
From these converts the Church was organized, and the number at 
the organization would seem to have been large. It is not quite cer- 
tain how long Paul and Silas remained at Thessalonica. It is known 
only that they preached in the synagogue for three Sabbaths, and, if 
that were all the time that they remained there, it could not have 
been more than about three weeks. But it is not certain that they 
did not remain in the city a longer time. It is possible that they may 
have been excluded from the synagogue, but still may have found some 
other place in which to preach. This would seem provable from one 
or two circumstances referred to in the history and in the epistle. In 
the history (Acts xvii. 5) it appears that Paul and Silas, for a time at 
least, made the house of Jason their home, and that so large numbers 
attended on their ministry as to give occasion to great excitement 
among the Jews. In the epistle (1 Thess. ii. 9) Paul says that when 
he was among them he "labored night and day, because he would 



viii 



INTRODUCTION. 



not be. chargeable unto any of them, and preached unto them the 
Gospel of God" (comp. 2 Thess. iii. 8), which looks as if he had been 
with them a longer time than the " three Sabbaths," and as if he had 
labored at his usual occupation for support before he shared the hos- 
pitality of Jason. It appears also, from Phil. iv. 16, that he was there 
long enough to receive repeated supplies from the Church at Philippi. 
" For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity." 

Paul and Silas were driven away from Thessalonica by the opposi- 
tion of the Jews. A mob was created by them ; the house of Jason 
was assailed ; he and " certain brethren," who were supposed to have 
harbored and secreted Paul and Silas, were dragged before the magis- 
trates and accused of receiving those who " had turned the world up- 
side down," and who were guilty of treason against the Roman em- 
peror. Acts xvii. 5-7. So great was the tumult, and such would be 
the danger of Paul and Silas if they remained there, that the members 
of the Church judged it best that they should go to a place of safety, 
and they were conveyed by night to the neighboring city of Berea. 
There the Gospel was received with more favor, and Paul preached 
without opposition, until the Jews from Thessalonica, hearing where 
he was, came thither and excited the people against him. Acts xvii. 
13. It became necessary again that he should be removed to a place 
of safety, and he was conducted to Athens, while Silas and Timothy 
remained at Berea. Timothy, it appears, had accompanied Paul, and 
had been with him, as well as Luke, at Philippi and Thessalonica, 
though he is not mentioned as present with them until the arrival at 
Berea. When Paul went to Athens, he gave commandment to those 
who conducted him, that Silas and Timothy should come to him as 
soon as possible ; and while he waited for them at Athens, he deliver- 
ed the memorable speech on Mars 7 Hill, recorded in Acts xvii. Their 
actual arrival at Athens is not mentioned by Luke (Acts xvii.), but 
that Timothy came to him there appears from 1 Thessalonians iii. 1, 2. 
" Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to 
be left at Athens alone, and sent Timotheus our brother, etc., to com- 
fort you concerning your faith." Timothy appears, therefore, to have 
been with Paul at Athens but a short time, for he sent him back to 
Thessalonica, and before his return Paul had gone to Corinth, whith- 
er Timothy followed him. Acts xviii. 5. 

§ 3. The Time and Place of Writing the Epistle. 
The subscription at the close of this epistle affirms that it was writ- 
ten at Athens. But these subscriptions are of no authority whatever 
(see Notes at the close of 1 Corinthians), and in this case, as in several 
others, the subscription is false. Paul remained but a short time at 
Athens, and there is internal evidence that the epistle was not written 
there. In 1 TJjess. iii. 1, 2, Paul says that, such was his anxiety for 
them, that he had concluded to remain at Athens alone,, and that he 
had sent Timothy to them from that place to impart to them consola- 
tion. In the same epistle (chap. ii. 6) he speaks of Timothy's return to 
him "before the epistle was written. But from Acts xvii. and xviii. 5 
it is evident that Timothy did not return to Paul at Athens, but that 
he and Silas came to him after he had left Athens and had gone to 



INTRODUCTION. 



ix 



Corinth. To that place Paul had gone after his short visit to Athens, 
and there he remained a year and a half. Acts xviii. 11. It is fur- 
ther evident that the epistle was not written to the Thessalonians so 
soon as it would be necessary to suppose if it were written from Athens. 
In chap. ii. 17, 18, the author says, " But we, brethren, being taken from 
you a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored the more abun- 
dantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore we would have 
come unto you, even I Paul, once and again ; but Satan hindered us." 
From this it is evident that the apostle had repeatedly endeavored to 
visit them, but had been hindered. But it is not reasonable to sup- 
pose that he had attempted this during the short time that he was in 
Athens, and so soon after having been driven away from Berea. It is 
more probable that this had occurred during his residence at Corinth, 
and it would seem also from this that the epistle was written toward 
the close of his residence there. At the time of writing the epistle 
Silas and Timothy were with the apostle (chapter i. 1), and we know 
that they were with him when he was at Corinth. Acts xviii. 5. 

If this epistle was written at the time supposed, at Corinth, it must 
have been about the 13th year of the reign of Claudius, and about 
A.D. 52. That this was the time in which it was written is the opin- 
ion of Mill, of Lardner, of Hug, and is indeed generally admitted. It 
was the first epistle written by the apostle Paul, and, in some respects, 
may be allowed to excite a deeper interest on that account than any 
others of his. The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians is supposed 
to have been written at the same place, and probably in the same year. 
See Lardner, vol. vi., 4-6. Grotius, indeed, supposes that the order of 
the epistles has been inverted, and that that which is now called the 
" Second Epistle to the Thessalonians" was in fact first sent. But ± 
, there is no evidence of this. 

§ 4. The Character of the Church at Thessalonica, and the Design of the 

Epistle. 

The Church at Thessalonica, at first, was composed of the following 
classes of persons : — (1.) Jews. To them Paul preached first, and 
though the mass of them opposed him, and rejected his message, yet 
some of them believed. Acts xvii. 4. (2.) Greeks who had been pros- 
elyted to the Jewish faith, and who seem to have been in attendance 
on the synagogue. Acts xvii. 4. They are called " devout Greeks" 
— (ts(3o/.ievol 'E\\r]voi — that is, religious Greeks, or those who had re- 
nounced the worship of idols, and who attended on the worship of 
the synagogue. They were probably what the Jews called "Prose- 
lytes of the Gate" — persons who were admitted to many privileges, but 
who were not proselytes in the fullest sense. There were many such 
persons usually where a synagogue was established among the Gen- 
tiles. (3.) Females of the more elevated rank and standing in the 
community. Acts xvii. 4. They were women of influence, and were 
connected with distinguished families. Possibly they also may have 
been of the number of the proselytes. (4.) Not a few members of the 
Church appear to have been converted from idolatry by the preaching 
of the apostle, or had connected themselves with it after he had left 
them. Vrhus, in chap. i. 9, it is said, "For they themselves show of us 

A 2 



X 



INTRODUCTION. 



what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God 
from idols, to serve the living and true God." 

Though the apostle had been much opposed when there, and the 
Gospel had been rejected by the great body of the inhabitants of 
Thessalonica, yet it had been most cordially embraced by these differ- 
ent classes (chap. ii. 13), and they were entirely harmonious in the be- 
lief of it. They forgot all their former differences in the cordiality 
with which they had embraced the Gospel. 

The characteristics of the Church there, and the circumstances ex- 
isting which gave occasion for the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, 
appear to have been, so far as can be gathered from the history (Acts 
xvii.), and the epistles themselves, the following : 

(1.) The members of the Church had very cordially embraced the Gos- 
pel ; they were the warm friends of the apostle ; they greatly desired to 
receive his instruction ; and these things prompted him to the earnest 
wish which he had cherished to visit them (chap. ii. 17), and now led 
him to write to them. Comp. chap. i. 5, 6 ; ii. 8, 9, 13, 19, 20. Paul had 
for them the strong affection which a nurse has for the children com- 
mitted to her charge (chap. ii. 7), or a father for his children (chap. ii. 
11), and hence the interest shown for them by writing these epistles. 

(2.) They were disposed not only to embrace the Gospel, but to 
spread it abroad* (chap, i. 8), and Paul was evidently desirous of com- 
mending them for this, and of exciting them to greater love and zeal 
in doing it. 

(3.) They had at first embraced the Gospel amid scenes of strife 
(chap. ii. 2); they were now opposed, as they had been then, by the 
Jews, and by their own countrymen (chap. ii. 14) ; and they appear to 
have been called to some peculiar trials, by the loss of some valued 
members of the Church — friends who were peculiarly dear to their 
hearts. Chap. ii. 3, 5 ; iii. 13. To console them in view of these af- 
flictions was one design of the first epistle, and in doing it the apostle 
states one of the most interesting views of the resurrection to be found 
in the Scriptures. Chap. iv. 14-18. 

(4.) They had been instructed in reference to the future coming of 
the Saviour; to the day of judgment; and to the fact that the ap- 
pearing of the " day of the Lord" would be like a thief in the night. 
Chap. v. 2. But they seem to have inferred that that day was near, 
and they were looking for the immediate advent of the Redeemer and 
the close of the world. To this view they seem to have been led by 
two things. One was a misinterpretation of what the apostle says 
(chap. iv. 14-18 ; v. 2, 3) about the advent of the Redeemer, which they 
seem to have understood as if it meant that it would be " soon ;" and 
the other was, probably, the fact that certain letters had been forged 
in the name of Paul which maintained this doctrine. 2 Thess. ii. 2. 
To correct this view was one of the leading objects of the second epis- 
tle, and accordingly the apostle in that shows them that events must 
yccur preceding the coming of the Lord Jesus which would occupy a 
long time, and that the end of the world, therefore, could not be near. 
2 Thess. ii. 3-12. 

(5.) An error seems also to have prevailed among them in regard to 
the resurrection, which was the cause of great uneasiness to th*fee who 



INTRODUCTION. 



xi 



had lost Christian friends by death. 1 Thess. iv. 13. They seem to 
have supposed that when the Lord Jesus should appear, they who 
would then be alive would have great advantages over those who 
were deceased ; that the living would be allowed to behold his glory, 
and to participate in the splendors of his personal reign, while those 
who were in their graves would slumber through these magnificent 
scenes. To correct these views, appears to have been one design of 
the first epistle. The apostle shows them that at the coming of the 
Saviour, all the redeemed, whether living or dead, would participate 
alike in his glory. They who were alive would not anticipate those 
who were in their graves. In fact, he says, those who were dead 
would rise before the change would take place in the living that was 
to fit them to dwell with the Lord, and then all would be taken up to 
be forever with him. 1 Thess. iv. 15-18. 

(6.) It would appear to be not improbable that after the departure 
of the apostle from Thessalonica he had been accused by the enemies 
of the Gospel there of a want of courage, and that they had urged 
this as proof that he was conscious that the Gospel was an imposture. 
Besides, his leaving the Church there without any instructors in a time 
when they greatly Heeded them may have been urged as a proof that 
he had no real affection for them, or concern for their welfare. To 
meet this charge, he urges several things, vindicating his conduct, and 
showing the strength of his attachment for them. He says (1.) that, 
as they knew, so far from being deterred by persecution from preach- 
ing, after a violent persecution at Philippi he and his fellow-laborers 
had at once preached the same Gospel at Thessalonica, and they had 
done it there amid the same kind of opposition. Chap. ii. 2. (2.) 
That they themselves were witnesses that it had been done without 
any appearance of fraud or of guile. They had given them all possi- 
ble proofs of sincerity. Chap. ii. 3-5. (3.) That they had given every 
proof possible that they did not seek glory from men, and that their 
aims were not selfish. They were willing to have imparted, not the 
Gospel only, but also their own lives ; and to show that they had had 
no selfish aim while with them, they had supported themselves by the 
labor of their own hands. Chap. ii. 6-9. (4.) That so far from not feel- 
ing any interest in them, he had repeatedly sought to visit them, but 
had in every instance been prevented (chap. ii. 17, 18) ; and (5.) that, 
since he was prevented from going to them, he had submitted to the 
personal sacrifice of parting with Timothy at Athens, and of being 
left alone there, in order that he might go to them and comfort their 
hearts. Chap. iii. 1,2. 

(7.) In common with other churches, gathered in part or in whole 
from the heathen, they were in danger of falling into the sins to which 
they had been addicted before their conversion, and one object of the 
first epistle is to put them on their guard against the leading vices to 
which they were exposed. Chap. iv. 1-7. 

(8.) It would seem, also, that there were some in the Church who 
had a spirit of insubordination toward their religious teachers, and 
who, under pretense of edifying others, were guilty of disorder. To 
correct this was also one, object of the epistle. Chap. v. 12-14. 

From these views, the design of this epistle, and also of the second 



xii 



INTRODUCTION. 



epistle to the same Church, which seerns to have been written soon 
after this, will be apparent. They are the effusions of warm attach- 
ment toward a Church which the apostle had founded, but from which 
he had been soon driven away, and which he had been prevented from 
revisiting when he had earnestly desired it. They are filled with ex- 
pressions of tender regard ; they remind the members of the Church 
of the ardor with which they had at first embraced the Gospel ; they 
caution them against the dangers to which they were exposed ; they 
commend them for their fidelity hitherto, and encourage them in their 
trials and persecutions. They present some most interesting views of 
the nature of the Gospel, and especially contain statements about the 
resurrection of the saints, which are not found elsewhere in the New 
Testament, and views in relation to the great apostasy and the " man 
of sin," which demonstrate that the writer was inspired, and wmich 
are of inestimable importance in guarding the true Church from the 
power of Antichrist. No one could have drawn the picture of the 
Papacy in the second chapter of the second epistle who was not un- 
der the inspiration of the Holy Ghost ; and no true Christian can be 
sufficiently grateful that the apostle was thus inspired to reveal the 
features of that great apostasy, to put the Church on its guard against 
the wiles and the power of him who " exalteth himself above all that 
is called God." The annexed cut, by CJi. Texier, from Churton and 
Jones, may be interesting as illustrating the style of church architect- 
ure in ancient Thessalonica. 




EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT THESSALONICA. 



FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAUL, and Silvanus," and Ti- 
niotheus, unto the church of 
the 6 Thessalonians which is in God 
the Father, and in the Lord Jesus 
Christ : Grace c ~be unto you, and 

a 1 Pet. 5. 12. I Acts 17. 1, etc. 

CHAPTER I. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

The first chapter of this epistle em- 
braces the following subjects : 

1. The inscriptioiTby Paul, Silas, and 
Timothy to the Thessalonians, and the 
usual salutations. Ver. 1. 

2. An expression of thanks for their 
fidelity in the Gospel. Ver. 2-4. The 
apostle says that he made mention of 
them continually in his prayers ; that 
he remembered their faith, and love, 
and patience, for by these things they 
had shown that they w^ere among the 
elect of God. 

3. He reminds them of the manner 
in which they received the Gospel 
when it was first preached to them. 
Vs. 5, 6. The power of God had been 
manifested among them in a remark- 
able manner; they had embraced the 
Gospel with strong assurance, and, 
though in the midst of deep afflictions, 
they had received the word with joy. 

4. The effect of the establishment of 
the Church in Thessalonica had been 
felt far abroad, and had been of the most 
happy character. Yer. 7-10. They had 
become examples to all that believed 
in Macedonia and Achaia. From them 
the Gospel had been sounded abroad 
throughout Greece, and, indeed, in all 
places with which they had connec- 
tion by their commercial relations. 
Those who dwelt in distant places bore 
witness to the influence of the Gospel 
on them, and to the power of that re- 
ligion which had turned them from 
idols to serve the living God. These 
verses contain a beautiful illustration 
of the effect of the Gospel in a place 
favorably situated for commerce, and 
having extensive intercourse with oth- 
er regions. 



peace, from God our Father, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2 We give thanks to God always 
for you all, making mention of you 
in our prayers ; 

3 Remembering without ceasing 

c Eph. 1. 2. 



1. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus. 
On the reasons why Paul associated 
other names with his in his epistles, 
see Notes on 1 Cor. i. 1, and 2 Cor. ii. 1. 
Silvanus, or Silas, and Timothy were 
properly united with him on this oc- 
casion, because they had been with 
him when the Church was founded 
there, Acts xvii. ; and because Timo- 
thy had been sent by the apostle to 
visit them after he had himself been 
driven away. Ch. ii. 1, 2. Silas is first 
mentioned in the New Testament as 
one who was sent by the Church at 
Jerusalem with Paul to Antioch (see 
Notes on Acts xv. 22) ; and. he after- 
wards became his traveling compan- 
ion. Which is in God the Father^ and 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Who are uni- 
ted to the true God and to the Re- 
deemer ; or who sustain an intimate 
relation to the Father and to the Lord 
Jesus. This is strong language, de- 
noting that they were a true church. 
Comp. 1 John v. 20. Grace be unto 
you, etc. See Notes on Rom. i. 7. 

2. We give thanks to God always for 
you all. See Notes on Rom. i. 9. ^ Mak- 
ing mention of you in our prayers. See 
Notes on Eph. i. 16. It may be ob- 
served here, (1.) that the apostle was 
in the habit of constant prayer. (2.) 
That he was accustomed to extempo- 
rary prayer, and not to written pray- 
er. It is not credible that u forms" of 
prayer had been framed for the church- 
es at Thessalonica and Ephesus, and 
for the other churches for which Paul 
says he prayed, nor would it have been 
possible to have adapted such forms 
to the varying circumstances attend- 
ing the organization of new churches. 

3. Remembering without ceasing. Re- 
membering your faith and love when- 
ever we pray. This is not to be un- 



14 



I. THE S SAL ONI AN S. 



[A.D. 52. 



your a work of faith, and labour h of 
love, and patience c of hope in our 
Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of 
God and our Father ; 

aJno. 6.29. 2 Thess. 1.11. 6 Heb. 6. 10. 

c Rom. 12. 12. 



derstood literally, but it is language 
such as we use respecting any thing 
that interests us much. It is constant- 
ly in our mind. Such an interest the 
apostle had in the churches which he 
had established. ^ Your work of faith. 
That is, your work, showing or evincing 
faith. The reference is probably to acts 
of dut}^ holiness, and benevolence, 
which proved that they exercised/a^A 
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Works of 
faith are those to which faith prompts, 
and which show that there is faith in 
the heart. This does not mean, there- 
fore, a work of their own which pro- 
duced faith, but a work which showed 
that they had faith. ^[ And labor of 
love. "Labor produced by love, or show- 
ing that you are actuated by love. 
Such would be all their kindness to- 
ward the poor, the oppressed, and the 
afflicted ; such all their acts which 
showed that they loved the soids ot 
men. K And patience of hope. Patience 
in your trials, showing that you have 
such a hope of future blessedness as to 
sustain you in your afflictions. It was 
the hope of heaven through the Lord 
Jesus that gave them patience. See 
Notes on Rom. viii. 24. " The phrases 
here are Hebraisms, meaning active 
faith, and laborious love, and patient 
hope, and might have been so transla- 
ted. ' ' —Doddridge. T[ In our Lord Jesus 
Christ. That is, your hope is founded 
only on him. The only hope that we 
have of heaven is through the Redeem- 
er. *j[ In the sigh t of God and our Fa ther. 
Before God, even our Father. It is a 
hope which we have through the mer- 
its of the Redeemer, and which we are 
permitted to cherish before God ; that 
is, in his very presence. When we 
think of God; when we reflect that we 
must soon stand before him, we are 
permitted to cherish this hope. It is 
a hope which will be found to be gen- 
uine even in the presence of a holy 
and heart-searching God. This does 
not mean that it had been merely pro- 
fessed before God, but that it was a 
hope which they might dare to enter- 
tain even in the presence of God, and 
which would bear the scrutiny of his 
eye. 



4 Knowing, brethren 1 beloved, 
your election of God. 

5 For our Gospel came d not unto 
you in word only, but also in pow- 

1 or, beloved of God, your election. 
cHsa. 55. 11. Mark 16. 20. 

4. Knowing, brethren beloved, your elec- 
tion of God. The margin here reads, 
"beloved of God, your election." The 
difference depends merely on the 
pointing, and that which would re- 
quire the marginal reading has been 
adoptedbyHahn,Tittman,Bloomfield, 
and Griesbach. The sense is not ma- 
terially varied, and the common ver- 
sion may be regarded as giving the 
true meaning. There is no great dif- 
ference between u being beloved of 
God" and u being chosen of God." The 
sense then is, "knowing that you are 
chosen by God unto salvation." Com- 
pare Notes on Eph. i. 4, 5, 11. The 
word "knowing" here refers to Paul 
himself, and to Silas and Timothy, who 
united with him in writing the epis- 
tle, and in rendering thanks for the fa- 
vors shown to the Church at Thessa- 
lonica. The meaning is, that they had 
so strong confidence that they had 
been chosen of God as a church unto 
salvation, that they might say they 
knew it. The way in which they knew 
it seems not to have been by direct 
revelation or by inspiration, but by the 
evidence which they had furnished, and 
which constituted such a proof of pi- 
ety as to leave no doubt of the fact.— 
Calvin. What this evidence was the 
apostle states in the following verses. 
It was shown by the manner in which 
they embraced the Gospel, and by the 
spirit which they had evinced under its 
influence. The meaning here seems 
to be, not that all the members of the 
Church at Thessalonica were certain- 
ly chosen of God to salvation— for, as 
in other churches, there might have 
been those there who were false pro- 
fessors—but that the Church, as such, 
had given evidence that it was a true 
Church— that it was founded on Chris- 
tian principles — and that, as a Church, 
it had furnished evidence of its "elec- 
tion by God." Nor can it mean, as 
Clarke and Bloomfield suppose, that 
God "had chosen and called the Gen- 
tiles to the same privileges to which 
he chose and called the Jews ; and that 
as they (the Jews) had rejected the Gos- 
pel, God had now elected the Gentiles 
in their stead ;" for a considerable por- 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER I. 



15 



er, a and in the b Holy Ghost, and in 
much assurance ; c as ye know what 

a 1 Cor. 2. 4. b 2 Cor. 6. 6. 

tion of the Church was composed of 
Jews (see Acts xvii. 4, 5), and it can not, 
therefore, mean that the Gentiles had 
been selected in the place of the Jews. 
Besides, the election of the Gentiles, or 
any portion of the human family, to 
the privileges of salvation, to the neg- 
lect or exclusion of any other part, 
would he attended with all the diffi- 
culties which occur in the doctrine of 
personal and individual election. No- 
thing is gained on this subject, in re- 
moving difficulties, by supposing that 
God chooses masses of men instead of 
individuals. How can the one be more 
proper than the other? What diffi- 
culty in the doctrine of election is re- 
moved by such a supposition ? Why 
is it not as right to choose an individ- 
ual as a nation ? Why not as proper 
to reject an individual as a whole peo- 
ple ? The fact thus stated, that the 
Church at Thessalonica had shown that 
it was a true Church of Christ, chosen 
by God, may teach us, (1.) that a true 
church owes what it has to the "elec- 
tion of God." It is because Go,d has 
chosen it ; has called it out from the 
world ; has endowed it in such a man- 
ner as to be a true church. (2.) A 
church may give evidence that it is 
chosen of God, and is a true church. 
There are things which it may do which 
^ill show that it is undoubtedly such 
a church as God has chosen, and such 
as he approves. There are just prin- 
ciples on which a church should be or- 
ganized, and there is a spirit which 
may be manifested by a church which 
will distinguish it from any other as- 
sociation of men. (3.) It is not improp- 
er to speak with strong confidence of 
such a church as undoubtedly chosen 
of God. There are churches which, by 
their zeal, their self-denial, and their 
deadness to the world, show beyond 
question their " election of God ;" and 
the world may see that they are founcf- 
ed on other principles, and manifest a 
different spirit, from other organiza- 
tions of men. (4.) Every church should 
evince such a spirit that there may be 
no doubt of its u election of God." It 
should be so dead to the world, so 
pure in doctrine and in practice, and 
so much engaged in spreading the 
knowledge of salvation, that the world 
will see that it is governed by higher 



manner of men we were among 
you for your sake. 

c Heb. 2. 2. 

principles than any worldly associa- 
tion, and that nothing could produce 
this but the influence of the Holy Spir- 
it of God. 

5. For mir Gospel came not unto you. 
W^hen ^prpreached. Acts xvii. 1-3. 
Paul speaks of it as " our Gospel," be- 
cause it was the Gospel preached by 
him and Silas and Timothy. Comp. 2 
Thess. ii. 14 ; 2 Tim. ii. 8. He did not 
mean to say that the Gospel had been 
originated by him, but only that he had 
delivered the good news of salvation to 
them. He is here stating the evidence 
which had been given that they were 
a church " chosen by God." He refers, 
first, to the manner in which the Gos- 
i pel was received by them (ver. 5-7), 
and, secondly, to the spirit which they 
themselves manifested in sending it 
abroad. Ver. 8-10. \ In word only . 
Was not merely spoken; or was not 
merely heard. It produced a powerful 
effect on the heart and life. It was not 
a mere empty sound that produced 
no other effect than to entertain or 
amuse. Comp. Ezek. xxxiii. 32. ^ But 
also in power. That is, in such power 
as to convert the soul. The apostle 
evidently refers not to any miracles 
that were wrought there, but to the 
effect of the Gospel on those who heard 
it. It is possible that there were mira- 
cles wrought there, as there were in 
other places, but there is no mention 
of such a fact, and it is not necessary 
to suppose it in order to see the full 
meaning of this language. There was 
great power manifested in the Gospel 
in its leading them to break off from 
their sins, to abandon their idols, and 
to give their hearts to God. See this 
more fully explained in the Notes on 
1 Cor. ii. 4. \ And in the Holy Ghost. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. ii. 4. It is there 
called the "demonstration of the Spir- 
it." *i And in much assurance. That 
is, with firm conviction, or full persua- 
sion of its truth. It was not embraced 
as a doubtful thing, and it did not pro- 
duce the effect on the mind which is 
caused by any thing that is uncertain 
in its character. Many seem to em- 
brace the Gospel as if they only half 
believed it, or as if it were a matter of 
very doubtful truth and importance ; 
but this was not the case with the 
Thessalonians. There was the firmest 



16 



I. THE S SAL ONI ANS. 



[A.D.52. 



6 And ye became a followers of us, 
and of the Lord, having received 

a 2 Cor. 8. 5. 



conviction of its truth, and they em- 
braced it "heart and soul." Comp. 
Col. ii. 2 ; Heb. vi. 11. From all that 
is said in this verse, it is evident that 
the power of God was remarkably man- 
ifested in the conversion o^pie Thes- 
salonians, and that they embraced the 
Gospel with an uncommonly strong- 
conviction of its truth and value. This 
fact will account for the subsequent 
zeal which the apostle so much com- 
mends in them— for it is usually true 
that the character of piety in a chu rch, 
as it is in an individual, is determined 
by the views with which the Gospel is 
first embraced, and the purposes which 
are formed at the beginning of the 
Christian life. H As ye know what man- 
ner of men, etc. Paul often appeals to 
those among whom he had labored, as 
competent witnesses with respect to 
his own conduct and character. See 
eh. ii. 9, 10 ; Acts xx. 33-35. He means 
here that he and his fellow- laborers 
had set them an example, or had shown 
what Christianity was by their man- 
ner of living, and that the Thessalo- 
nians had become convinced that the 
religion which they taught was real. 
The holy life of a preacher goes far to 
confirm the truth of the religion which 
he preaches, and is among the most ef- 
ficacious means of inducing them to 
embrace the Gospel. 

6. And ye became follower 'S of us. 1 ' You 
became imitators — fiiwrai — of us." 
This does not mean that they became 
followers of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, 
in the sense that they had set them- 
selves up as teachers, or as the head of 
a sect, but that they imitated their man- 
ner of living. See Notes on 1 Cor. iv. 
16 ; xi. 1. ^ And of the Lord. The 
Lord Jesus. You also learned to im- 
itate him. From this it is evident that 
the manner in which the Saviour lived 
was a prominent topic of their preach- 
ing, and also that it was one of the 
means of the conversion of the Thes- 
salonians. It is probable that preach- 
ing on the pure and holy life of the 
Lord Jesus might be made a much 
more important means of the conver- 
sion of sinners than it is. Nothing is 
better adapted to show them the evil 
of their own guilty lives than the con- 
trast between their lives and his ; and 
nothing can be conceived better fitted 



the word in much affliction, with 
joy 6 of the Holy Ghost ; 

b Acts 13. 52. 



to win them to holy living than the 
contemplation of his pure and holy de- 
portment. If Having received the word 
iii much affliction. That is, amidst much 
opposition from others. See Acts xvii. 
5-8. It was in the midst of these tri- 
als that they had been converted— and 
they seem to have been all the better 
Christians for them. In this they were 
imitators of the Saviour, or shared the 
same lot with him, and thus became 
his followers. Their embracing and 
holding fast the truths of religion 
amidst all this opposition, showed that 
they were controlled by the same prin- 
ciples that he was, and that they were 
truly his friends. If With joy of the 
Holy Ghost. With happiness produced 
by the Holy Ghost. Though they were 
much afflicted and persecuted, yet 
there was joy. There was joy in their 
conversion ; in the evidence of par- 
doned sin ; in the hope of heaven. See 
Notes on Acts viii. 8. However great 
may be the trials and persecutions ex- 
perienced in receiving the Gospel, or 
however numerous and long the suf- 
ferings of the subsequent life in con- 
sequence of having embraced it, there 
is a joy in religion that more than over- 
balances all, and that makes religion 
the richest of all blessings. 

7. So that ye were ensamples to all that 
believe. Examples in reference to th£ 
firmness with which you embraced thW 
Gospel, the fidelity with which you ad- 
hered to it in trials, and the zeal which 
you showed in spreading it abroad. 
These things are specified in the pre- 
vious and subsequent verses as char- 
acterizing their piety. The word here 
rendered ensamples — tuttow: — is that 
from which the word type is derived. 
It properly denotes any thing caused 
or produced by the means of blows (from 
TU7TTO)), and hence a mark, print, or 
impression, made by a stamp or die; 
fnd then a resemblance, figure, pat- 
tern, exemplar — a model after which 
any thing is made. This is the mean- 
ing here. They became, as it were, a 
model or pattern after which the piety 
of others should be moulded, or show- 
ed what the piety of others ought to 
be. T[ In Macedonia. Thessalonica was 
an important city of Macedonia (see 
the Introd. Comp. Notes on Acts xvi. 
9), and of course their influence would 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER I. 



17 



7 So that ye were ensamples to 
all that believe in Macedonia- and 
Achaia. 



be felt on the whole of the surround- 
ing region. This is a striking instance 
of the effect which a church in a city 
may have on the country. The influ- 
ence of such a church may be felt, and 
will usually be felt afar on the other 
churches of a community — just as, in 
all other respects, a city has an import- 
ant influence on the country at large. 
IT And Achaia. Achaia proper was the 
part of Greece of which Corinth was 
the capital.* The word, however, was 
sometimes so used as to comprehend 
the whole of Greece, and in this sense 
it seems to be employed here, as there 
is no reason to suppose that their in- 
fluence would be felt particularly in 
the province of which Corinth was the 
centre. Koppe observes that Macedo- 
nia and Achaia were the two provinces 
into which all Greece was divided 
when it was brought under the Ro- 
man yoke, the former of which com- 
prehended Macedonia proper, Illyri- 
cum,Epirus, andThessaly, and the oth- 
er Greece properly so called. The mean- 
ing here is, therefore, that their influ- 
ence was felt in all parts of Greece ; 
that their piety was spoken of, and 
the effect of their conversion had been 
felt in all those places. Thessalonica 
was a commercial city, and a sea-port. 
It had intercourse with all the other 
parts of Macedonia, with Greece, and 
with Asia Minor. It was partly owing 
to the advantages of its situation that 
its influence was thus felt. Its own 
merchants and mariners who went 
abroad would carry with them the spir- 
it of the religion of their Church, and 
those who visited it from other ports 
would see the effect of religion there. 
This is just an instance, therefore, of 
the religious influence which a com- 
mercial town and a sea-port may have 
on other parts of the world. A reviv- 
al of religion in such a place will ex- 
tend its influence afar to other places, 
and appropriate zeal among the friends 
of the Redeemer there may have an im- 
portant effect on sea-ports, and towns, 
and lands far remote. It is impossible 
to overestimate the importance of 
such places in regard to the spread of 
the Gospel; and Christians who reside 
there — be they merchants, mechanics, 
lawyers, physicians, mariners, or min- 



8 For from you sounded a out the 
word of the Lord not only in Mace- 
donia and Achaia, but also, in ev- 

a Rom. 10. 18. 

isters of the Gospel, should feel that 
on them God has placed the responsi- 
bility of using a vast influence in send- 
ing the Gospel to other lands. He that 
goes forth from a commercial town 
should be imbued with the spirit of 
the Gospel, and churches located there 
should be so under the influence of re- 
ligion that they who come among them 
from abroad shall bear to their own 
lands honorable testimony of the pow- 
er of religion there. 

For from you sounded out the word 
of the Lord. The truths of religion 
were thus spread abroad. The word 
rendered " sounded out" — ££?/x ? J' r<w — 
refers to the sounding of a trumpet 
(Bloomfield), and the idea is, that the 
Gospel was proclaimed like the sono- 
rous voice of a trumpet echoing from 
place to place. Compare Isa. lviiii. 1 ; 
Rev. i. 10. Their influence had an ef- 
fect in diffusing the Gospel in other 
X>laces, as if the sound of a trumpet 
echoed and re-echoed among the hills 
and along the vales of the classic land 
of Greece. This seems to have been 
done (1. ) involuntarily; that is, the nec- 
essary result of their conversion, even 
without any direct purpose of .their 
own, would be to produce this effect. 
Their central and advantageous com- 
mercial position ; the fact that many 
of them were in the habit of visiting 
other places, and the fact that they 
were visited by strangers from abroad, 
would naturally contribute to this re- 
sult. But (2.) this does not appear to 
be all that is intended. The apostle 
commends them in such a way as to 
make it certain that they were volun- 
tary in the spread of the Gospel ; that 
they made decided efforts to take ad- 
vantage of their position to send the 
knowledge of the truth abroad. If so, 
this is an interesting instance of one 
of the first efforts made by a church to 
diffuse the Gospel, and to send it to 
those who were destitute of it. There 
is no improbability in the supposition 
that they sent out members of their 
Church — messengers of salvation — to 
other parts of Macedonia and Greece, 
that they might communicate the 
same Gospel to others. See Doddridge. 

But also in everyplace. Thessalonica 
was connected not only with Macedo- 



18 



I. THE S S AL OKI A NS . 



[A.D. 52. 



ery place a your faith to God-ward 
is spread abroad ; so that we need 
not to speak any thing. 

9 For they themselves shew of 
us what manner of entering in we 

a 2 Thess. 1.4. 



nia and Greece proper, in its commer- 
cial relations, but also with the ports 
of Asia Minor, and, not improbably, 
with still more remote regions. The 
meaning is, that in all the places with 
which they trafficked, the effect of their 
faith was seen and spoken of. ^ Faith 
to God- ward. Fidelity toward God. 
They showed that they had a true be- 
lief in God and in the truth which he 
had revealed. ^ So that we need not to 
speak any thing. That is, wherever we 
go, we need say nothing of the fact 
that you have been turned to the Lord, 
or of the character of your piety. These 
things are sufficiently made known by 
those who come from you, by those 
who visit you, and by your zeal in 
spreading the true religion. 

9. For they themselves. They who have 
visited you, and they whom you have 
sent out ; all persons testify of your 
piety. The apostle seems to refer to 
all whom he had met or had heard of 
"in all places," who said any thing 
about the Thessalonians. They were 
unanimous in bearing testimony to 
their fidelity and piety H Show of us 
what manner of entering in we had unto 
you. The testimony which they bear 
of you is, in fact, testimony of the man- 
ner in which we preached the Gospel, 
and demeaned ourselves when we were 
with you. It shows that we were in- 
tent on our Master's work, and that 
we were not actuated by selfish or sin- 
ister motives. The argument is, that 
such effects could not have been pro- 
duced among them if Paul, Silas, and 
their fellow-laborers had been impos- 
tors. Their sound conversion to God ; 
their change from idolatry to the true 
religion, and the zeal which had been 
the result of their conversion, was an 
argument to which Paul and his fel- 
low-laborers might appeal in proof of 
their sincerity and their being sent 
from God. Paul often makes a similar 
appeal. Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. iii. 2, 
3. It is certain that many of the Jews 
in Thessalonica, when Paul and his fel- 
low-laborers were there, regarded 
them as impostors (Acts xvii. 6-8), 
and there is every reason to suppose 



had unto you, and how ye turned 
to God b from idols, to serve the liv- 
ing and true God ; 

10 And to w r ait c for his Son from 
heaven, whom he raised from the 

b 1 Cor. 12. 2. Gal. 4. 8. c Phil. 3. 20. 

that after they left the city they would 
endeavor to keep up this impression 
among the people. To meet this, Paul 
now says that their own undoubted 
conversion to a life of holiness and zeal 
under their ministry was an unan- 
swerable argument that this was not 
so. How could impostors and deceiv- 
ers have been the means of producing 
such effects ? *j[ And how ye turned to 
God from idols. That is, under our 
preaching. This proves that the 
Church was to a considerable extent 
composed of those who were convert- 
ed from idolatry under the preaching 
of Paul. Comp.Introd.,§4. The mean- 
ing here is, that they who came from 
them, or they who had visited them, 
bore abundant testimony to the fact 
that they had turned from idols to the 
worship of the true God. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Cor. xii. 2 ; Gal. iv. 8. U To serve 
the living and true God. He is called the 
"living God" in opposition to idols, 
who are represented as dead, dumb, 
deaf, and blind. Comp. Psa. cxxxv. 
15-17; Isa. xliv. 10-17; Matt, xvi.16; 
J ohn v. 26 ; Acts xiv. 15. 

10. And to wait for his Son from heav- 
en. It is clear from this and from other 
parts of these two epistles, that the 
return of the Lord Jesus to this world 
was a prominent subject of the preach- 
ing of Paul at Thessalonica. No small 
part of these epistles is occupied with 
stating the true doctrine on this point 
(1 Thess. iv. 5), and in correcting the 
errors which prevailed in regard to it 
after the departure of Paul. 2 Thess. 
ii. 1-12. Perhaps we are not to infer, 
however, that this doctrine was made 
more prominent there than others, or 
that it had been inculcated there more 
frequently than it had been elsewhere, 
but the apostle adverts to it here par- 
ticularly because it was a doctrine so 
well fitted to impart comfort to them 
in their trials (ch. iv. 13-18), and be- 
cause, in that connection, it was so 
well calculated to rouse them to vig- 
ilance and zeal. Ch. v.1-11. He makes 
it prominent in the second epistle, be- 
cause material errors prevailed there 
in reference to it which needed to be 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER I. 



19 



dead, even Jesus, which deliver- 1 ed us from the wrath a to come. 

a Matt. 3.7. Rom. 5. 8. 



corrected. In the passage before us 
he says that the return of the Son of 
God from heaven was an important 
point which had been insisted on 
when he was there, and that their con- 
duct, as borne witness to by all, had 
shown with what power it had seized 
upon them, and what a w practical in- 
fluence it had exerted in their lives. 
They lived as if they were "waiting^ 
for his return. They fully believed in 
it ; they expected it. They were look- 
ing out for it, not knowing when it 
might occur, and as if it might occur 
at any moment. They were,therefore, 
dead to the world, and were animated 
with an earnest desire to do good. 
This is one of the instances which de- 
monstrate that the doctrine that the 
Lord Jesus will return to our world 
is fitted, when understood in the true 
sense revealed in the Scriptures, to ex- 
ert a powerful influence on the souls 
of men. It is eminently adapted to 
comfort the hearts of true Christians 
in the sorrows, bereavements, and sick- 
nesses of life (John xiv. 1-3 ; Acts i. 
11; 1 Thess. iv. 13-18 ; 2 Pet. iii. 8, 9) ; 
to lead us to watchfulness and to an 
earnest inquiry into the question 
whether we are prepared to meet him 
(Matt. xxiv. 37-44 ; xxv. 13) ; to make 
us dead to the world, and to lead us to 
act as becomes the children of light 
(1 Thess. v. 5-9) ; to awaken and arouse 
impenitent and careless sinners (1 
Thess. v. 2, 3; 2 Pet. iii. 3-7); and to ex- 
cite Christians to self-denying efforts 
to spread the Gospel in distant lands, 
as was the case at Thessalonica. Ev- 
ery doctrine of the Gospel is adapted 
to produce some happy practical ef- 
fects on mankind, but there are few 
that are more full of elevated and holy 
influences than that which teaches that 
the Lord Jesus will return to the 
earth, and which leads the soul to wait 
for his appearing. Comp. Notes on 
1 Cor. 17; Phil. iii. 20. U Whom he 
raised from the dead. See Notes on 
Acts ii. 24-32; 1 Cor. xv. 4-9. Paul 
probably means to intimate here that 
this was one of the great truths which 
they had received, that the Lord Jesus 
had been raised from the dead. We 
know it was a prominent doctrine 
wherever the Gospel was preached. 
IT Which delivered us from the wrath to 
come. Another of the prominent doc- 



trines of Christianity, which was un- 
doubtedly always inculcated by the 
first preachers of religion. The" wrath 
to come" is the divine indignation 
which will come upon the guilty. 
Matt. iii. 7. From that Christ delivers 
us by taking our place, and dying in 
our stead, "it was the great purpose 
of his coming to save us from this ap- 
proaching wrath. It follows from this 
(1.) that there ivas wrath which man 
had to dread— since Jesus came to de- 
liver us from something that was real, 
and not from what was imaginary ; 
and (2.) that the same wrath is to be 
dreaded now by all who are not united 
to Christ, since in this respect they 
are now just as all were before he died ; 
that is, they are exposed to fearful 
punishment from which he alone can 
deliver. It may be added that the ex- 
istence of this wrath is real, whether 
men believe it or not, for the fact of 
its existence is not affected by our be- 
lief or unbelief. 

EEMAKKS. 

This chapter teaches 

(1.) That it is right to commend 
those who do well. Ver. 3. Paul was 
never afraid of injuring any one by 
commending him when he deserved it ; 
nor was he ever afraid to rebuke when 
censure was due. 

(2.) Christians are chosen to salva- 
tion. Ver. 4. Their hope of heaven 
depends on the u election of God." 

(3.) It is possible for a people to know 
that they are chosen of God, and to 
give such evidence of it that others 
shall know it also. Ver. 4. It is pos- 
sible for a church to evince such a spir- 
it of piety, self-denial, love, and holi- 
ness, and such a desire to spread the 
Gospel, as to show that they are ' ' cho- 
sen of God," or that they are a true 
church. This question is not to be 
determined by their adherence to cer- 
tain rights and forms ; by their hold- 
ing to the sentiments of an orthodox 
creed; by their zeal in defense of the 
"apostolic succession;" but by their 
bringing forth " the fruits of good liv- 
ing. ' ' In determining that the Church 
at Thessalonica was "chosen of God," 
Paul does not refer to its external or- 
ganization, or to the fact that it was 
founded by apostolic hands, or that it 
had a true ministry and valid ordi- 



20 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



nances, but to the fact that it evinced 
the true spirit of Christian piety ; and 
particularly that they had been zeal- 
ous in sending the Gospel to others. 
There were three things to which he 
referred : 1. That the Gospel had pow- 
er over themselves, inducing them to 
abandon their sins ; 2. That it had such 
influence on their lives that others rec- 
ognized in them the evidence of true 
religion ; and, 3. That it made them 
benevolent, and excited them to make 
efforts to diffuse its blessings abroad. 

(4.) If a church may know that it is 
chosen or elected of God, it is true of 
an individual also that he may know it. 
It is not by a direct revelation from 
heaven ; not by an infallible communi- 
cation of the^Holy Spirit; not by a 
voice or vision ; but it is in the same 
way in which this may be evinced by a 
church. The conversion of an individ- 
ual, or his " election-of God," may be 
certainly known by himself, if, 1. The 
Gospel is received as "the Word of 
God," and induces him to abandon his 
sins ; 2. If it leads him to pursue such 
a life that others shall see that he is 
actuated by Christian principles; and, 
3. If he makes it his great aim in life 
to do good, and to diffuse abroad, as 
far as he can, that religion which he 
professes to love. He who finds in his 
own heart and life evidence of these 
things need not doubt that he is among 
the " chosen of God." 

(5.) The character of piety in the life 
of an individual Christian, and in a 
church, *is often determined by the 
manner in which the Gospel is em- 
braced at first, and by the spirit with 
which the Christian life is entered on. 
See Notes on Vs. 5, 6. If so, then this 
fact is of immense importance in the 
question about organizing a church, 
and about making a profession of re- 
ligion. If a church is so organized as 
to have it understood that it shall be 
to a considerable extent the patron 
of worldly amusements — a "half-way 
house" between the world and relig- 
ion — that purpose will determine all 
its subsequent character,unless it shall 
be counteracted by the grace of God. 
If it is organized so as to look with 
a benignant and tolerant eye on gay- 
ety, vanity, self-indulgence, ease, and 
what are called the amusements and 
pleasures of life, it is not difficult to 
see what will be its character and influ- 
ence ever onward. How can such a 
church diffuse far ancLnear the convic- 



tion that it is " chosen of God," as the 
Church at Thessalonica did ? And so 
of an individual. Commonly, the whole 
character of the religious life will be 
determined by the views with which 
the profession of religion is made. If 
there is a purpose to enjoy religion 
and the world too ; to be the patron 
of fashion as well as a professed follow- 
er of Christ ; to seek the flattery or 
the plaudits of men as well as the ap- 
probation of &o&,that purpose will ren- 
der the whole religious life useless, vac- 
illating, inconsistent, miserable. The 
individual will live without the enjoy- 
ment of religion, and will die leaving 
little evidence to his friends that he 
has gone to be with God. If, on the 
other hand, there is singleness of pur- 
pose, and entire dedication to God at 
the commencement of the Christian 
life, the religious career will be one of 
usefulness, respectability, and peace. 
The most important period in a man's 
life, then, is that when he is ponder- 
ing the question whether he shall make 
a profession of religion. 

(6.) A church in a city should cause 
its influence to be felt afar. Ver. 7-9. 
This is true, indeed, of all other church- 
es, but it is especially so of a church 
in a large town. Cities will be centres 
of influence in fashion, science, litera- 
ture, religion, and morals. A thou- 
sand ties of interest bind them to oth- 
er parts of a land, and though in fact 
there may be, as there often is, much 
more intelligence in a country neighbor- 
hood than among the same number of 
inhabitants taken promiscuously from 
a city ; and though there may be, as 
there often is, far more good sense and 
capability to appreciate religious truth 
in a country congregation than in a 
congregation in a city, yet it is true 
that the city will be the radiatingpoint 
of influence. This, of course, increases 
the responsibility of Christians in a 
city, and makes it important that, like 
those of Thessalonica, they should be 
models of self-denial and of efforts to 
spread the Gospel. 

(7.) A church in a commercial town 
should make use of its peculiar influ- 
ence to spread the Gospel abroad. Ver. 
7-9. Such a place is connected with 
remote lands, and those who, for com- 
mercial purposes, visit distant ports 
from that place, should bear with them 
the spirit of the Gospel. Such, too, 
should be the character of piety in the 
churches in such a city, that all who 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER II. 



21 



visit it for any purpose should see the 
reality of religion, and be led to bear 
an honorable report of it again to their 
own land. 

(8.) Such, too, should be the piety 
of any church. The church at Thes- 
salonica evinced the true spirit of re- 
ligion. Ver. 7-9. Its light shone afar. 
It sent out those who went to spread 
the Gospel. Its members, when they 
. went abroad, showed that they were 
influenced by higher and purer prin- 
ciples than those which actuated them 
before conversion, and than were evin- 
ced by the heathen world. Those who 
visited them also saw that there was 
a reality in religion, and bore an hon- 
orable report of it again to their own 
lands. Let any church evince this 
spirit, and it will show that it is " cho- 
sen ofGod,"orthat it is a true church; 
and wherever there is a church formed 
after the primitive model these traits 
will always be seen. 

(9.) It is our duty and privilege to 
" wait for the Son of God to return 
from heaven." We know not when 
his appearing, either to remove us by 
death or to judge the world, will be ; 
and we should therefore watch and be 
ready. The hope of his return to our 
world to raise the dead, and to convey 
his ransomed to heaven, is the bright- 
est and most cheering prospect that 
dawns on man, and we should be ready, 
whenever it occurs, to hail him as our 
returning Lord, and to rush to his arms 
as our glorious Redeemer. It should 
be always the characteristic of our pi- 
ety, as it was that of John, to say, 
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 
xxii. 20. 

CHAPTER II. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTEK. 

The principal subjects embraced in 
this chapter are the following : 

L A statement of the conduct of 
Paul and his fellow-laborers when they 
first preached the Gospel at Thessa- 
lonica. Ver. 1-12. In this statement 
the apostle specifies particularly the 
following things : (1.) That he and his 
fellow -laborers had been shamefully 
treated at Philippi, and had been 
obliged to encounter much opposition 
at Thessalonica. Vs. 1, 2. (2.) That 
in their efforts to convert the Thessa- 
lonians they had used no deceit, cor- 
ruption, or guile. Vs. 3, 4. (3.) That 
they had not sought the praise of men, 
and had not used the weight of au- 



thority which they might have done as 
the apostles of Christ. Ver. 6. (4.) 
That they had been gentle and mild in 
their intercourse with them. Vs. 7, 8. 
(5.) That, in order not to be burden- 
some, or to subject themselves to the 
charge of selfishness, they had sup- 
ported themselves by laboring night 
and day. Ver. 9. (6.) That the Thes- 
salonians themselves were witnesses 
in what a holy and pure manner they 
had lived when there, and how they 
had exhorted them to a holy life. Ver. 
10-12. 

II. The apostle refers to the man- 
ner in which the Thessalonians had re- 
ceived the truth at first, as undoubt- 
edly the word of God, and not as the 
word of men. Ver. 13. 

III. He reminds them of the fact that 
they had met with the same opposi- 
tion from the Jews which the church- 
es in J udea had, for that every where 
the Jews had made the same opposi- 
tion to the messengers of God, killing 
the Lord Jesus and their own proph- 
ets, and forbidding the apostles to 
speak to the Gentiles. Ver. 14-16. 

IV. In the conclusion of the chapter 
the apostle expresses the earnest de- 
sire which he had to visit them, and 
the reason why he had not done it be- 
fore. It w r as because he had been pre- 
vented by causes beyond his control, 
and now his earnest and sincere wish 
was that he might be permitted to see 
them, for they were his hope, his joy, 
and his crown. Ver. 17-20. 

It is reasonable to suppose that the 
statements in this chapter were de- 
signed to meet a certain condition of 
things in the Church there, and if so, 
we may learn something of the diffi- 
culties which the Thessalonians had to 
encounter, and of the objections which 
were made to Paul and to the Gospel. 
It is often in this way that we can get 
the best view of the internal condition 
of a church referred to in the New 
Testament— not by a direct statement 
respecting difficulties and errors in it, 
but by the character of the epistle sent 
to it. J udging by this rule, we should 
infer that there were those in Thessa- 
lonica who utterly denied the divine 
origin of the Gospel. This general 
charge the apostle meets in the first 
chapter by showing that the power of 
the Gospel evinced in their conversion, 
and its effects in their lives, demonstra- 
ted it to be of heavenly origin. 

In reference to the state of things 



22 



I. THE S SAL ONI ANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



CHAPTER II. 

FOR yourselves, brethren, know 
our entrance in unto you, that 
it was not in vain : 
2 But' even after that we had suf- 

a Acts 16. 12, etc. 



as referred to in this chapter, we should 
also infer the following things : 

1. That it was represented by some 
that Paul and his fellow-laborers 
sought influence and power; that they 
were indisposed to labor, and were, in 
fact, impostors. This charge Paul re- 
futes abundantly by his appeal to what 
they knew of him, and what they had 
seen of him when he was there. Ver. 
1-13. 

2. That the Church at Thessalonica 
met with severe and violent opposi- 
tion from the Jews who were there. 
Ver. 14r-17. This appears to have been 
a formidable opposition. Comp. Acts 
xvii. 5, seq. They would not only be 
likely to use violence, but it is not im- 
probable that they employed the sem- 
blance of argument that might perplex 
the Church. They may have stated 
that they were from the same country 
as Paul and his fellow-laborers ; and 
that they, while pretending to great 
zeal for religion, were, in fact, regard- 
ed as apostates, and were engaged in 
overturning the revealed doctrines of 
God. It would be easy to represent 
them as men who, from this cause, 
were worthy of no confidence, and to 
urge the fact that those who thus act- 
ed in opposition to the religion of 
their own country, and to the sacred 
rites of the Temple at Jerusalem, could 
be entitled to no regard. These 
charges, if they were made, the apostle 
meets by assuring the Thessalonians 
that they were suffering precisely the 
same things which the churches in Ju- 
dea did ; that the Jews manifested the 
same spirit there which they did in 
Thessalonica; that they had killed 
alike the Lord Jesus and their own 
undoubted prophets, and that it was a 
characteristic of them that they were 
opposed to all other men. Their op- 
position, therefore, was not to be won- 
dered at, nor was it to be regarded as 
any argument that the apostles, though 
Jews, were unworthy of confidence. 
Vs. 15, 16. 

3. It was very probably represented 
by the enemies of Paul and his fellow- 
laborers that they had fled from Thes- 



fered before, and were shamefully 
entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, a 
we were b bold in our God to speak 
unto you the Gospel of God with 
much contention.* 

b Acts 17. 2, 3. c Jude 3. 



salonica on the slightest danger, and 
that if they had had any regard for the 
Church there they woufd have re- 
mained in the time of peril, or, at least, 
that they would have returned to vis- 
it them. Their continued absence was 
probably urged as a proof that they 
had no concern for them. The apos- 
tle meets this by stating that they had 
been indeed "taken from them" for a 
little time, but that their hearts were 
still with them, and by assuring them 
that he had often endeavored to visit 
them again, but that "Satan had hin- 
dered' ' him. Ver. 17-20. He had, how- 
ever, given them the highest proof of 
interest and affection that he could, 
for when he was able to go himself, 
he had, at great self-denial, sent Tim- 
othy to establish them in the faith, and 
to comfort their hearts. Ch. iii. 1-3. 
His absence, therefore, should not be 
urged as a proof that he had no regard 
for them. 

1. For yourselves, brethren, know our 
entrance in unto you. See Notes on ch. 
i. 9. Paul appeals to themselves for 
proof that he and his fellow-laborers 
had not come among them as impos- 
tors. The Thessalonians had had a 
full opportunity to see them, and to 
know what influenced them. Paul fre- 
quently appeals to his own life, and 
to what they among whom he labored 
knew of it, as a full refutation of the 
slanderous accusations of his enemies. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. iv. 10-16 ; ix. 
19-27 ; 2 Cor. vi. 3-10. Every minis- 
ter of the Gospel ought so to live as 
to be able, when slanderously attacked, 
to make such an appeal to his people. 
*fi That it was not in vain. Kevrj. This 
word means (1.) empty, vain, fruitless, 
or without success ; (2.) that in which 
there is no truth or reality— false, fal- 
lacious. Eph. v. 6 ; Col. ii. 8. \ Here it 
seems, from the connection (ver. 3-5), 
to be used in the latter sense, as de- 
noting that they were not deceivers. 
The object does not appear to be so 
much to show that their ministry was 
successful, as to meet a charge of their 
adversaries that they were impostors. 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER II. 



23 



3 For our exhortation was not of 
deceit, a nor of uncleanness, nor in 
guile : 

a 2 Pet. 1.16. 

Paul tells them that, from their own 
observation, they knew that this was 
not so. 

|^2. But even after that we had suffered 
mfore. Before we came among you. 
H And were shamef ully entreated, as ye 
know, at Philippi. Acts xvi. 19, seq. By 
being beaten and cast into prison. The 
shame of the treatment consisted in 
the fact that it was wholly undeserved ; 
that it was contrary to the laws ; and 
that it was accompanied with circum- 
stances designed to make their punish- 
ment as ignominious as possible. The 
Thessalonians knew of this, and Paul 
w r as not disposed to palliate the con- 
duct of the Philippians. What was 
u shameful treatment" he speaks of 
as such without hesitation. It is not 
wrong to call things by their right 
names, and, when we have been abused, 
it is not necessary that we should at- 
tempt to smooth the matter over by 
saying that it was not so. If We were 
hold in our God. By humble depend- 
ence on the support of our God. It 
was only his powerful aid that could 
have enabled us to persevere with- ar- 
dor and zeal in such a work after such 
treatment. The meaning here is, that 
they were not deterred from preaching 
the Gospel by the treatment which 
they had received, but at the next im- 
portant town, and on the ver} 7 first op- 
portunity, they proclaimed the same 
truth, though there was no security 
that they might not meet with the 
same persecution there. Paul evident- 
ly appeals to this in order to show 
them that they were not impostors, 
and that they were not influenced by 
the hope of ease or of selfish gains. 
Men who were not sincere and earnest 
in their purposes would have been de- 
terred from prosecuting their labors 
further by such treatment as they had 
received at Philippi. *ff With much con- 
tention. Amidst much opposition, and 
where great effort was necessary. The 
Greek word here used is ayu>v {agony), 
a word referring usually to the Gre- 
cian games. See Notes on Col. ii. 1. 
It means the course, or place of con- 
test ; and then the contest itself, the 
strife, the combat, the effort for victo- 
ry ; and the apostle here means that, 
owing to the opposition there, there 



4 But as we were allowed of God 
to be put in trust 6 with the Gos- 
pel, even so we speak ; not as pleas- 

b 1 Tim. 1.11,12. 

w r as need of an effort on his part like 
the desperate struggles of those w r ho 
contended for the mastery at the Gre- 
cian games. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. 
ix. 24-27. The triumph of the Gospel 
there was secured only by an effort of 
the highest kind, and by overcoming 
the most formidable opposition. 

3. For our exhortation. That is, the 
exhortation to embrace the Gospel. 
The word seems to be used here so as 
to include preaching in general. The 
sense is, that the means which they 
used to induce them to become Chris- 
tians were not such as to delude them. 
Ti Was not of deceit. Was not founded 
on sophistry. The apostle means to 
say that the Thessalonians knew that 
his manner of preaching was not such 
as was adopted by the advocates of 
error. ^ Nor of uncleanness. Not such 
as to lead to an impure life. It was 
such as to lead to holiness and purity. 
The apostle appeals to what they knew 
to be the tendency of his doctrines as 
an evidence that they were true. Most 
of the teaching of the heathen philos- 
ophers led to a life of licentiousness 
and corruption. The tendency of the 
Gospel was just the reverse. ^ Nor in 
guile. Not by the arts of deceit. There 
was no craftiness or trick, such as could 
not bear a severe scrutiny. No point 
was carried by art, cunning, or strata- 
gem. Every thing was done on the 
most honorable and fair principles. 
It is much when a man can say that he 
has never endeavored to accomplish 
any thing by mere trick, craft, or cun- 
ning. Sagacity and shrewdness are al- 
ways allowable in ministers as well as 
others ; trick and cunning never. Yet 
stratagem often takes the place of sa- 
gacity, and trick is often miscalled 
shrewdness. Guile, craft, cunning, im- 
ply deception, and can never be rec- 
onciled with that entire honesty which 
a minister of the Gospel, and all oth- 
er Christians, ought to possess. See 
Notes on 2 Cor. xii. 16. Compare Psa. 
xxxii. 2; xxxiv. 13; John i. 47 ; IPet. 
ii. 1, 22; Rev. xiv. 5. 

4. But as we were allowed of God to be 
put in trust with the Gospel. Comp. 1 
Tim. i. 11, 12. Since there had been 
committed to us an office so high and 
holy, and so much demanding sincer- 



24 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



ing men, but God, which trieth our 
hearts. 

5 For neither a at any time used 
we flattering words, as ye know, 

a 2 Cor. 2. 17. 



ity, fidelity, and honesty, we endeav- 
ored to act in all re&pects in conform- 
ity to the trust reposed in ns. The 
Gospel is a system of truth and sincer- 
ity, and we evinced the same. The 
Gospel is concerned with great reali- 
ties, and we did not resort to trick and 
illusion. The office of the ministry is 
most responsible, and we acted in view 
of the great account which we must 
render. The meaning is, that Paul had 
such a sense of the truth, the reality, 
and the importance of the Gospel and 
of his responsibility, as effectually to 
keep him from any thing like craft or 
cunning in preaching it. An effectual 
restrain er from mere management and 
trick will always be found in a deep 
conviction of the truth and import- 
ance of religion. Artifice and cunning- 
are the usual accompaniments of a bad 
cause ; and, when adopted by a minis- 
ter of the Gospel, will usually, when 
detected, leave the impression that he 
feels that he is engaged in such a cause. 
If an object can not be secured by sin- 
cerity and straightforward dealing, it 
is not desirable that it should be se- 
cured at all. H Even so we speak. In 
accordance with the nature of the Gos- 
pel ; with the truth and sincerity which 
such a cause demands. ^ Not as pleas- 
ing men. Not in the manner of im- 
postors, who make it their object to 
please men. The meaning of the apos- 
tle is, that he did not aim to teach 
such doctrines as would flatter men ; 
as would win their applause ; as would 
gratify their passions or their fancy. 
We are not to suppose that he desired 
to offend men ; or that he regarded 
their esteem as of no value ; or that 
he was indifferent whether they were 
pleased or displeased; but that it was 
not the direct object of his preaching 
to please them. It was to declare the 
truth, and to obtain the approbation 
of God, whatever men might think of 
it. See Notes on Gal. i. 10. \ Which 
trieth our hearts. It is often said to be 
an attribute of God that he tries or 
searches the hearts of men. 1 Chron. 
xxviii. 9 ; xxix. 17 ; Jer. xi. 20 ; xvii. 
10; Psa.xi.4; Rom. viii.27. Themean- 
ing here is, that the apostle had a deep 



nor a cloak of covetousness ; God 
is witness : 

6 Nor of men b sought we glory, 
neither of you, nor yet of others, 

b John. 5. 41, 44. Gal. 1. 10. 



conviction of the truth that God knew 
all his motives, and that all would Ue 
revealed in the last day. 

5. For neither at any time used we flat- 
tering words. See Notes on Job xxxi. 
21,22; and on 2 Cor. ii. 17. The word 
here rendered ''flattering" — KoXaiuia 
— occurs no where else in the New 
Testament. The meaning is, that the 
apostle did not deal in the language 
of adulation ; he did not praise them 
for their beauty, wealth, talent, or ac- 
complishments,and conceal from them 
the painful truths about their guilt 
and danger. He stated simple truth — 
not refusing to commend them if truth 
would admit of it, and never hesitat- 
ing to declare his honest convictions 
about their guilt and danger, One of 
the principal arts of t he deceiver is flat- 
tery ; and Paul says that when preach- 
ing to the Thessalonians he had care- 
fully avoided it. He now appeals to 
that fact as a proof of his own integ- 
rity. They knew that he had been 
faithful to their souls. H Nor a cloak 
of covetousness. The word rendered 
"cloak" here, irpocftacis, means, prop- 
erly, "what is shown or appears be- 
fore any one ;" that is, show, pretense, 
pretext, put forth in order to cover 
one' s real intent. Matt, xxiii. 14 ; Mark 
xii. 40 ; Luke xx. 47. The meaning 
here is, that he did not put on a pre- 
tense or appearance of piety for the sake 
of promoting the schemes of covet- 
ousness. The evidence of that was not 
only what they observed of the gener- 
al spirit of the apostle, but also the 
fact that when with them he had ac- 
tually labored with his own hands for 
a support. Ver. 9. It is obvious that 
there were those there, as sometimes 
there are now, who, under the pre- 
tense of great zeal for religion, were 
really seeking wealth, and it is possi- 
ble that it may have been alleged 
against Paul and his fellow -laborers 
that they were such persons. H God 
is witness. This is a solemn appeal to 
God for the truth of what he had said. 
He refers not only to their own obser- 
vation, but he calls God himself to 
witness his sincerity. God knew the 
truth in the case. There could have 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER II. 



25 



when we might have 1 been bur- 
densome," as the apostles of Christ. 
7 But we were gentle among you, 

1 or, used authority. 

been no imposing on him ; and the ap- 
peal, therefore, is to one who was in- 
timately acquainted with the truth. 
Learn hence, (1.) that it is right, on 
important occasions, to appeal to God 
for the truth of what we say. (2.) We 
should always so live that we can prop- 
erly make such an appeal to him. 

6. Nor of men sought we glory. Or 
praise. The love of applause was not 
that which influenced them. See Notes 
on Col. i. 10. TT Neither of you, nor yet 
of others. Nowhere has this been our 
object. The love of fame is not that 
which has influenced us. The partic- 
ular idea in this verse seems to be, 
that though the} 7 had uncommon ad- 
vantages, as the apostles of Christ, for 
setting up a dominion or securing an 
ascendency over others, yet they '"had 
not availed themselves of it. As an 
apostle of Christ; as appointed by him 
to found churches ; as endowed with 
the power of working miracles, Paul 
had every advantage for gaining au- 
thority over others, and turning it to 
the purposes of ambition or gain. 
%When we might have been burdensome. 
Marg. , ' ' or, used authority. ' ' Some un- 
derstand this as meaning that they 
might have demanded a support in vir- 
tue of their being apostles ; otners, as 
Calvin, and as it is in the margin, that 
they might have used authority, and 
might have governed them wholly in 
that manner, exacting unqualified obe- 
dience. The Greek properly refers to 
that which is iveighty — h (3aph — heavy, 
burdensome. Any th ing that weighs down 
or oppresses, as a burden, sorrow, or 
authority, would meet the sense of the 
Greek. It seems probable, from the 
context, that the apostle did not refer 
either to authority or to support ex- 
clusively, but may have included both. 
In their circumstances, it might have 
been somewhat burdensome for them 
to have maintained him and his fel- 
low-laborers, though as an apostle he 
might have required it. Comp. 1 Cor. 
ix. 8-15. Rather than be oppressive in 
this respect, he had chosen to forego 
his right, and to maintain himself by 
his own labor. As an apostle also he 
might have exerted his authority, and 
might have made use of his great of- 
fice for the purpose of placing himself 



even as a nurse cherisheth her chil- 
dren : 

8 So, being affectionately desirous 

a 2 Cor. 12.13-15. 

at the head of churches, and giving 
them laws. But he chose to do noth- 
ing that would be a burden ; he treated 
them with the gentleness with which 
a nurse cherishes her children (ver. 7), 
or a father his sons (ver. 11), and em- 
ployed ou\y the arts of persuasion. 
Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. xii. 13-16. *J[ As 
the apostles of Christ. Though the writ- 
er uses the word apostles here in the 
plural number, it is not certain that 
he means to apply it to Silas and Tim- 
othy. He often uses the plural num- 
ber where he refers to himself only; 
and though Silas and Timothy are join- 
ed with him in this epistle (ch. i. 1), 
yet it is evident that he writes the let- 
ter as if he were alone, and as if they 
had no part in the composition or the 
instructions. Timothy and Silas are 
associated with him for the mere pur- 
pose of salutation or kind remem- 
brance. That this is so is apparent 
from ch. iii. In ver. 1 of that chapter 
Paul uses the plural term also. "When 
we could no longer forbear, we thought 
it good to be left at Athens alone." 
Comp. ver. 5. " For this cause, when 
I could no longer forbear, I sent to 
know your faith." Neither Silas nor 
Timothy were apostles in the strict 
and proper sense, and there is no evi- 
dence that they had the u authority" 
which Paul here says might have been 
exerted by an apostle of Christ. 

7. But we were gentle among you. In- 
stead of using authority, we used only 
the most kind and gentle methods to 
win you, and to promote your peace 
and order. The word here rendered 
"nurse," may mean any one who 
nurses a child, whether a mother or 
another person. It seems here to re- 
fer to a mother (compare ver. 11), and 
the idea is, that the apostle felt for 
them the affectionate solicitude which 
a mother does for the child at her 
breast. 

8. So, being affectionately desirous of 
you. The word here rendered "being 
affectionately desirous" — kpzipw — oc- 
curs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment. It means to long after, to have a 
strong affection for. The sense here is, 
that Paul was so strongly attached to 
them that he would have been willing 
to lay down his life for them. \ We were 



2G 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



of you, we were willing to have "im- 
parted unto you, not the Gospel of 
God only, but also our own souls, 
because ye were dear unto us. 

9 For ye remember, brethren, our 
labor b and travail : for laboring 
night and day t because we would 
not be chargeable unto any of you, 

a Rom. 1. 11. 

willing to have imparted unto you. To 
have given or communicated. Rom. 
i. 11. \Not the Gospel of God only. To 
be willing to communicate the knowl- 
edge of the Gospel was in itself a 
strong proof of love, even if it were 
attended with no self-denial or haz- 
ard in doing it. We evince a decided 
love for a man when we tell him of 
the way of salvation, and urge him to 
accept of it. We show strong interest 
for one who is in danger, when w r e tell 
him of a way of escape, or for one who 
is sick, when we tell him of a medicine 
that will restore him; but we mani- 
fest a much higher love when we tell 
a lost and ruined sinner of the way in 
which he may be saved. There is no 
method in which Ave can show so 
strong an interest in our fellow-men, 
and so much true benevolence for 
them, as to go to them and tell them 
of the way by which they may be res- 
cued from everlasting ruin, But also 
our own souls. Or rather lives — \f/vxa$* 
Matt. vi. 25 ; xx. 28 ; Luke xii. 22, 23 ; 
Mark iii. 4. This does not mean that 
the apostle was willing to be damned, 
or to lose his soul in order to save 
them, but that if it had been neces- 
sary he would have been ready to lay 
down his life. SeelJohn iii. 16. "We 
ought to lay down our lives for the 
brethren." Compare Notes on John 
xv. 13; Rom. ix. 1-3. His object seems 
to be to assure them that he did not 
leave them from any want of love to 
them, or from the fear of being put to 
death. It was done from a strong 
conviction of duty. He appears to 
have left them because he could not 
longer remain without exposing oth- 
ers to clanger, and without the cer- 
tainty that there would be continued 
disturbances. See Acts xvii. 9, 10. 

9. Ye remember, brethren, our labor. 
Doubtless in the occupation of a tent- 
maker. See Notes on Acts xx. 34. 
Compare 1 Cor. iv. 12. % And travail. 
See Notes on 2 Cor. xi. 27. The word 
means wearisome labor. i[ For laboring 



we preached unfco you the Gospel 
of God. 

10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, 
how holily and justly, and un- 
blameably we behaved ourselves 
among you that believe : 

11 As ye know how we exhorted, 
and comforted, and charged every 

b Acts 20. 34, 35. 2 Tbess. 3. 7, 8. 

night and day. That is, when he was 
not engaged in preaching the Gospel. 
He appears to have labored through 
the week, and to have preached on the 
Sabbath ; or if engaged in preaching 
in the day time during the week, he 
made it up by night labor. il We pleach- 
ed unto you the Gospel of God. That is, 
I supported myself when I. preached 
among you. No one, therefore, could 
say that I was disposed to live in idle- 
ness ; no one that I sought to make 
myself rich at the expense of others. 

10. Ye are witnesses. They had a full 
opportunity of knowing his manner 
of life. And God also. See Notes 
on ver. 5. ^How holily. Piously — 
observing all the duties of religion. 
*Tl And justly. In our intercourse with 
men. I did them no wrong. %And 
unblameably. This seems to refer to 
his duties both to God and man. In 
reference to all those duties no one 
could bring a charge against him. 
Every duty was faithfully performed. 
This is not a claim to absolute perfec- 
tion, but it is a claim to consistency 
of character, and to faithfulness in 
duty, which every Christian should 
be enabled to make. Every man pro- 
fessing religion should so live as to be 
able to appeal to all who have had an 
opportunity of knowing him, as wit- 
nesses that he was consistent and 
faithful, and that there was nothing 
which could be laid to his charge. 

11. How we exhorted. That is, to a 
holy life, if And comforted. In the 
times of affliction. ^ And charged. 
Gr., testified. The word testify is used 
here in the sense of protesting, or mak- 
ing an earnest and solemn appeal. 
They came as icitnesses from God of 
the truth of religion, and of the im- 
portance of living in a holy manner. 
They did not originate the Gospel 
themselves, or teach its duties and 
doctrines as their own, but they came 
in the capacity of those who bore wit- 
ness of what God had revealed and re- 
quired, and they did this in the earnest 



A.D. 52:] 



CHAPTER II. 



27 



one of you, as a father doth his 
children, 

12 That ye would walk a worthy 
of God, who 6 hath called you unto 
his kingdom and glory. 

13 For this cause also thank we 
God without ceasing, because, when 

aEph.4.1. 6 1 Cor. 1.9. 

c Matt. 10.40. 2 Pet. 1.23. 



and solemn manner which became such 
an office. *ft As a father doth his chil- 
dren. With an interest in your wel- 
fare such as a father feels for his chil- 
dren, and with such a method as a 
father would use. It was not done in 
a harsh, dictatorial, and arbitrary man- 
ner, but in tenderness and love. 

12. Thai ye would walk worthy of God, 
etc. That you would live in such a 
manner as would honor God, who has 
chosen you to be his friends. See 
Notes on Eph. iv. 1. A child "walks 
worthy of a parent" when he lives in 
such way as to reflect honor on that 
parent for the method in which he 
has trained him ; when he so lives as 
to bring no disgrace on him, so as not 
to pain his heart by misconduct, or so 
as to give no occasion to any to speak 
reproachfully of him. This he does, 
when (1.) he keeps all his commands; 
(2.) when he leads a life of purity and 
virtue ; (3. ) when he carries outvie 
principles of the family into his own 
life; (4.) when he honors a father by 
evincing a profound respect for his 
opinions; and (5.) when he endeavors 
to provide for his comfort, and to 
promote his welfare. In a manner 
similar to this, a true Christian hon- 
ors God. He lives so as not to bring 
a reproach upon him or his cause, and 
so as to teach the world to honor him 
who has bestowed such grace upon 
him. 1" Who hath called you. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. i. 9. 

13. For this cause also thank ice God. 
In addition to the reasons for thank- 
fulness already suggested, the apostle 
here refers to the fact that they re- 
ceived the truth, when it was preach- 
ed, in such a way as to show that they 
fully believed it to be the word of God. 
TT Rot as the word of men. Not of hu- 
man origin, but as a divine revelation. 

■ You were not led to embrace it by 
human reasoning, or by the mere arts 
of persuasion, or from personal re- 
spect for others, but by your convic- 
tion that it was a revelation from God. 



ye received the word of God which 
ye heard of us, ye received it not c 
as the word of men, but, as it is in 
truth, the word of God, which ef- 
fectually worketh d also in you that 
believe. 

14 For ye, brethren, became fol- 

c£Jas. 1.18. 1 Pet. 1.23. 



It is only when the Gospel is em- 
braced in this way that religion will 
show itself sufficient to abide the fiery 
trials to which Christians may be ex- 
posed. He who is convinced by mere 
human reasoning, may have his faith 
shaken by opposite artful reasoning; 
he who is won by the mere arts of 
popular eloquence, will have no faith 
which will be proof against similar 
arts in the cause of error; he who 
embraces religion from mere respect 
for a pastor, parent, or friend, or be- 
cause others do, may abandon it when 
the popular current shall set in a dif- 
ferent direction, or when his friends 
shall embrace different views; but he 
who embraces religions the truth 
of God, and from the l^Pof the truth, 
will have a faith, like that of the 
Thessalonians, which will abide every 
trial. U Which effectually worketh also 
in you that believe. The word rendered 
"which" here— 09— may be referred 
either to " truth" or to "God." The 
grammatical construction will admit 
of either, but it is not material which 
is adopted. Either of them expresses 
a sense undeniably true, and of great 
importance. The meaning is, that the 
truth was made efficacious in the 
minds of all who became true Chris- 
tians. It induced them to abandon 
their sins, to devote themselves to 
God, to lead pure and holy lives, and 
it enabled them to abide the trials and 
temptations of life. Comp. Notes on 
Phil. ii. 12, 13; Heb. xiii. 21. The par- 
ticular illustration here is, that when 
they embraced the Gospel it had such 
an efficacy on their hearts as to pre- 
pare them to meet the terrors of bit- 
ter persecution without shrinking. 

14. For ye, brethren, became followers # 
of the churches of God which in Judea 
are in Christ Jesus. Which are united 
to the Lord Jesus, or which are found- 
ed on his truth ; that is, which are 
true churches. Of those churches 
they became imitators — ixi^rral — to 
wit j in their sufferings. This does not 



28 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



lowers of the churches of God 
which in Judea are in Christ Je- 
sus : for ye also have suffered like 
things of your own countrymen, 
even as they ham of the Jews ; 

a Acts 7. 52. 

mean that they were founded on the 
same model ; or that they professed 
to be the followers of those churches, 
but that they had been treated, in the 
same way, and thus were like them. 
They had been persecuted in the same 
manner, and by the same people — the 
Jews; and they had borne their perse- 
cutions with the same spirit. The 
object of this is to comfort and encour- 
age them, by showing them that oth- 
ers had been treated in the same man- 
ner, and that it was to be expected 
that a true Church would be perse- 
cuted by the Jews. They ought not, 
therefore, to consider it as any evi- 
dence that they were not a true Church 
that the} 7 had been persecuted by 
those who claimed to be the people 
of God, and who made extraordinary 
pretensions l^riety. *ft For ye also have 
suffered like 9f0 s °f your own country- 
men. Literarry; " of those who are of 
your fellow-tribe, or fellow-clansmen " — 
o-v/j.(pv\£Tu)v. The Greek word means 
"one of the same tribe," and then a 
fellow-citizen or fellow-countryman. 
It is not elsewhere used in the New- 
Testament. The particular reference 
here seems not to be to the heathen 
who were the agents or actors in the 
scenes of tumult and persecutions, 
but to the Jews by whom they were 
led on, or who were the prime movers 
in the persecutions which they had 
endured. It is necessary to suppose 
that they were principally Jews who 
were the cause of the persecution 
which had been excited against them, 
in order to make the parallelism be- 
tween the Church there and the 
churches in Palestine exact. At the 
same time there was a propriety in 
saying that, though this parallelism 
was exact, it was by the "hands of 
their own countrymen' 1 '' that it was 
done; that is, they were the visible 
agents or actors by whom it was done 
— the instruments in the hands of 
others. In Palestine, the, Jews per- 
secuted the churches themselves ; , out 
of Palestine, they did it by means of 
others. They were there the real 
authors of it, as they were in Judea, 



15 Who both killed the Lord Je- 
sus and their a own prophets, and 
have 1 persecuted us ; and they 
please not God, and are contrary 
to all men ; 

1 or, chased us out. 



but they usually accomplished it by 
producing an excitement among the 
heathen, and by the plea that the 
apostles were making war on the civil 
institutions of the country. This was 
the case in Thessalonica. "The Jews 
which believed not, moved with envy, 
set all the city on an uproar." "They 
drew Jason and certain brethren unto 
the rulers of the city, crying, These that 
have turned the world upside down 
are come hither also." Acts xvii. 5, 6. 
The same thing occurred a short time 
after at Berea. "When the Jews of 
Thessalonica had knowledge that the 
word of God was preached of Paul at 
Berea, they came thither also and 
stirred up the people." Acts xvii. 13. 
Comp. Acts xiv. 2. " The unbelieving 
Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and 
made their minds evil-affected against 
the brethren." "The epistle, there- 
fore, represents the case accurately as 
the history states it. It was the Jews 
always who set on foot the persecu- 
tions against the apostles and their 
fojjpwers." Paley, Hor. Paul, inloc. 
It was, therefore, strictly true, as the 
apostle here states, (1.) that they were 
subjected to the same treatment from 
the Jews as the churches in Judea 
were, since they were the authors of 
the excitement against them ; and (2.) 
that it was carried on, as the apostle 
states, "by their own countrymen;" 
that is, that they were the agents or 
instruments by which it was done. 
This kind of undesigned coincidence be- 
tween the epistle and the history in 
the Acts of the Apostles, is one of the 
arguments from which Paley {Hor. 
Paul.) infers the genuineness of both. 
■IT As they have of the Jeivs. Directly. 
In Palestine there were no others but 
Jews who could be excited against 
Christians, and they were obliged to 
appear as the persecutors themselves. 

15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus. 
See Notes on Acts ii. 23. The mean- 
ing here is, that it was characteristic 
of the Jews to be engaged in the work 
of persecution, and that they should 
not regard it as strange that those 
who had put their own Messiah to 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER II. 



29 



death, and slain the prophets, should ' 
now be found persecuting the true j 
children of God. If And their own proph- \ 
ets. See Notes on Matt. xxi. 33-40; ! 
xxiii. 29-37 ; Acts vii. 52. If And have ' 
persecuted us. As at Iconium (Acts 
xiv. 1), Derbe, and Lystra (Acts xiv. 6), 
and at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Be- 
rea. The meaning is, that it was char- 
acteristic of them to persecute, and I 
they spared no one. If they had per- j 
secuted the apostles themselves, who | 
were their own countrymen, it should 
not be considered strange that they 
should persecute those who were Gen- 
tiles. If And they please not God. Their i 
conduct is not such as to please God, 
but such as to expose them to his 
wrath. Ver. 16. The meaning is not 
that they did not aim to please God — 
"whatever may have been the truth 
about that — but that they had shown 
by all their history that their conduct 
could not meet with the divine appro- 
bation. They made extraordinary pre- 
tensions to being the peculiar people 
of God, and it was important for the 
apostle to show that their conduct 
demonstrated that they had no such | 
claims. Their opposition to the Thes- 
salonians, therefore, was no proof that 
God was opposed to them, and they 
should not allow themselves to be 
troubled by such opposition. It was 
rather proof that they were the friends 
of God — since those who now perse- 
cuted them had been engaged in per- 
secuting the most holy men that had 
lived. Tf And are contrary to all men. 
They do not merely differ from other 
men in customs and opinions— which 
might be harmless — but they keep up 
an active opposition to all other people. 
It was not opposition to one nation 
only, but to all ; it was not to one 
form of religion only, but to all — even 
including God's last revelation to 
mankind; it was not enmity or con- 
trariness evinced in their own country 
only, but they carried it with them 
wherever they w r ent. The truth of 
this statement is confirmed, not only 
by authority of the apostle and the 
uniform record in the New Testament, 
but by the testimony borne of them 
in the classic writers. This was uni- 
versally regarded as their national 
characteristic, for they had so demean- 
ed themselves as to leave this impres- 
sion on the minds of those with whom 
they had intercourse. Thus Tacitus 
describes them as "cherishing hatred 



against all others" — adversus omnes 
alios hostile odium. Hist.,\.,5. So 
Juvenal (Sat., xiv., 103, 104) describes 
them : 

Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra co- 
lenti, 

Qusesitum ad fontem solas deducere ver- 
pos. 

" They would not even point out the 
way to any one except of the same re- 
ligion ; nor, being asked, guide any to 
a fountain except the circumcised." 
So they are called by Appollonius 
"atheists and misanthropes, and the 
most uncultivated barbarians" — aSeot. 

KCLL flLG-aV^JpUiTTOL Kai CCCpV S.(TT CtTOL TU)V 

fiapfiapcov. Josephus Con. Ap. , ii. , 14. 
So Diodorus Siculus (xxxiv., p. 524) 
describes them as " those alone among 
all the nations who were unwilling to 
have any intercourse [or intermin- 
gling— £7riAu£ tas ] with any other na- 
tion, and who regarded all others as 
enemies" — KaL7ro\E/ULLovs uiroXa/uifiavEiv 

irdvTa<s. Their history had given 
abundant occasion for these charges. 

16, Forbidding us to speak to the Gen- 
tiles. See Acts xvii. 5, 13. No partic- 
ular instance is mentioned in the life 
of Paul previous to this w 7 hen they had 
formally commanded him not to 
preach to the heathen, but no one can 
doubt that ttis was one of the lead- 
ing points of difference between him 
and them. Paul maintained that the 
Jews and Gentiles were now on a lev- 
el with regard to salvation ; that the 
wall of partition was broken down ; 
that the Jew had no advantages over 
the rest of mankind in this respect, 
and that the heathen might be saved 
without becoming Jews or being cir- 
cumcised. Rom. ii. 25-29; iii. 22-31. 
Comp. Notes on Col. i. 24. The Jews 
did not hold it unlawful "to speak to 
theGentiles,"andevento offer to them 
eternal life (Matt, xxiii. 15), but it was 
only on condition that they should 
become proselytes to their religion, 
and should observe the institutions 
of Moses. If saved, they held that it 
would be as Jews — either originally 
such, or such by becoming proselytes. 
Paul maintained just the opposite 
opinion, that heathens might be saved 
without becoming proselytes to the 
Jewish system, and that, in fact, sal- 
vation was as freely offered to them 
as to the children of Abraham. Though 
there are no express instances in which 
they prohibited Paul from speaking to 
the Gentiles recorded before the date 



80 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



16 Forbidding a us to speak to the 
Gentiles that they might be saved, 
to fill b up their sins alway ; for the 

a Acts 17. 5, 13 ; 18. 12. b Gci. 15. 16. Matt. 23. 32. 

of this epistle, yet events occurred 
afterwards which showed what were 
their feelings, and such as to make it 
in the highest degree probable that 
they had attempted to restrain him. 
See Acts xxii. 21, 22. " And he [Christ] 
said unto me [Paul], Depart, for I will 
send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 
And they [the Jews] gave him audi- 
ence unto this word, and then lift up 
their voices and said, Away with such 
a fellow from the earth, for it is not 
fit that he should live." H That they 
might be saved. That is, as freely as 
others, and on the same terms — not 
by conversion to Judaism, but by re- 
pentance and faith. If To fill up their 
sins, alway. At all times — ttuvtotz — 
in every generation. That is, to do 
now as they have always done, by re- 
sisting God and exposing themselves 
to his wrath. The idea is, that it had 
been a characteristic of the nation, at 
all times, to oppose God, and that 
they did it now in this manner in con- 
formity with their fixed character. 
Comp. Acts vii. 51-53, and Notes on 
Matthew xxiii. 32, on tV expression, 
" Fill ye up then the measure of your 
fathers. ' ' If For the wrath is come upon 
them. This can not mean that the 
wrath of God had been then actually 
poured out upon them in the extreme 
degree referred to, or that they had 
experienced the full expressions of the 
divine displeasure, for this epistle was 
written before the destruction of their 
city and Temple (see the Introduc- 
tion) ; but that the cup of their iniq- 
uity was full; that they were in fact 
abandoned by God; that they were 
the objects even then of his displeasure ; 
and that their destruction was so cer- 
tain that it might be spoken of as an 
indubitable fact. The "wrath of God" 
may be said to have come upon a man 
when he abandons him, even though 
there may not be as yet any external 
expressions of his indignation. It is 
not punishment that constitutes the 
wrath of God. That is the mere out- 
ward expression of the divine indigna- 
tion, and the wrath of God may in fact 
have come upon a man when as yet 
there are no ext ernal tokens of it. 
The overthrow of Jerusalem and the 
Temple were but the outward expres- 



wrath is come upon them to the 
uttermost/ 
17 But we, brethren, being taken 

o Rev. 22.11, 

sions of the divine displeasure at their 
conduct. Paul, inspired to speak of 
the feelings of God, describes that 
wrath as already existing in the divine 
mind. Comp. Rom. iv. 17. If To the 
uttermost. Gr. — eh te'Aos — to the end ; 
that is, until wrath shall be complete 
or exhausted; or wrath in the extremest 
degree. It does not mean "to the end 
of their race or history," nor necessa- 
rily to the remotest periods of time; 
but it refers to that which constitutes 
completion, so that there should be 
nothing lacking of that which would 
make indignation perfect : tsXos — 
" gantz und gar" — thoroughly, entire- 
ly, through and through. — Passow. 
Some have understood this as meaning 
at the last, or at length, as Macknight, 
Rosenmuller, Koppe, and Wetstein; 
others as referring to duration, mean- 
ing that it would" follow them every- 
where ; but the more correct interpre- 
tation seems to be to refer it to that 
extremity of calamity and woe which 
was about to come upon the nation. 
For an account of this, see Notes on 
Matt. xxiv. 21. 

17. But we, brethren, being taken from 
you. There is more implied in the 
Greek word here rendered, "being 
taken from you" — a7rop(pavL<TStvT£<s — 
than appears from our translation. It 
properly has relation to the condition 
of an orphan (Compare Notes on John 
xiv. 18), or one who is bereaved of 
parents. Then it is used in a more 
general sense, denoting to be bereaved 
of; and in this place it does not mean 
merely that he was ' ' taken from them , ' ' 
but there is included the idea that it 
was a painful bereavement. It was 
such a state as that of one who had 
lost a parent. No word, perhaps, 
could have expressed stronger attach- 
ment for them. If For a short time. 
Gr., "For the time of an hour;" that 
is, for a brief period. The meaning is, 
that when he left them he supposed 
it would be only for a short time. The 
fact seems to have been (Acts xvii. 
10) that it was supposed, when Paul 
was sent to Berea, that things would 
soon be in such a state that he could 
safely return to Thessalonica. He was 
"sent" there by those who thought it 
was necessary for the safety of some 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER II. 



31 



from you for a short time in pres- 
ence, not in heart, endeavored the 
more abundantly to see your face 
with great desire. 

1 8 Wherefore we would have come 
unto you, even I Paul, once and 
again ; but Satan hindered us. 

1 or, glorying. a 2 Cor. 1. 14. Phil. 4. 1. 

of his friends at Thessalonica, and he 
evidently purposed to return as soon 
as it could properly he done. It had, 
in fact, however,' turned out to be a 
long and painful absence. ^ In pres- 
ence, not in heart. My heart was still 
with you. This is an elegant and 
touching expression, which we still 
use to denote affection for an absent 
friend. ^ Endeavored the more abun- 
dantly to see your face. Made every 
endeavor possible. It was from no 
want of affection that I have not done 
it, but from causes beyond my control. 
*JT With great desire. Comp. Notes on 
Luke xxii. 15. 

18. Wherefore we would have come unto 
you, even I Paul. The phrase " even I 
Paul" seems to be used by way of 
emphasis. He had a special desire to 
go himself. He had sent Timothy to 
them (ch. iii. 2, 5), and, perhaps, some 
might have been disposed to allege 
that Paul was afraid to go himself, or 
that he did not feel interest enough in 
them to go, though he was willing to 
send one to visit them. He is, there- 
fore, at much pains to assure them 
that his long separation from them 
was unavoidable. T[ But Satan hinder- 
ed us. Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. xii. 7. 
In what way this was done is unknown, 
and conjecture would be useless. The 
apostle recognized the hand of /Satan 
in frustrating his attempt to do good, 
and preventing the accomplishment 
of his strong desire to see his Christian 
friends. In the obstacles, therefore, 
to the performance of our duty, and 
in the hindrances of our enjoyment, 
it is not improper to trace the hand 
of the great enemy of good. The 
agency of Satan may, for aught we can 
tell, often be employed in the embar- 
rassments that we meet with in life. 
The hindrances which we meet with 
in our efforts to do good, when the 
providence of God seems to favor us, 
and his word and Spirit seem to call 
us to a particular duty, often look 
very much like the work of Satan. 
They are just such obstructions as a 



19 For what is our hope, or joy, 
or crown of 1 rejoicing ? Are not 
even ye in a the presence b of our 
Lord Jesus Christ at his c com- 
ing ? 

20 For ye are our glory and 

j°y- 

b Jude 24. c Rev. 1. 7. 



very wicked being would be glad to 
throw in our way. 

19. For what is our hope. That is, 
" I had a strong desire to see you ; to 
assist you; to enjoy your friendship; 
for you are my hope and joy, and my 
absence does not arise from a want of 
affection." The* meaning, when he 
says that they were his "hope" is 
that their conversion and salvation 
was one of the grounds of his hope of 
future blessedness. It was an evidence 
that he was a faithful servant of God, 
and that he would be rewarded in 
heaven. U Or joy. The source of joy 
here and in heaven. TT Or crown of re- 
joicing. Margin, as in Gr., glorying; 
that is, boasting or exulting. The 
allusion is, probably, to the victors at 
the Grecian games ; and the sense is, 
that he rejoiced in their conversion 
as the victor there did in the garland 
which he had won. See Notes on 1 
Cor. ix. 24-27. If Are not even ye. Or, 
will not you be? ^ In the presence of 
our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. 
"When the Lord Jesus appears at the 
end of th£ world, then our highest 
source of happiness and honor will be 
your conversion and salvation." Then 
their salvation would be a proof of his 
fidelity. It would fill his soul with 
the highest happiness that he had been 
the means of saving them from ruin. 

20. For ye are our glory and joy. The 
meaning is, that the source of happi- 
ness to a minister of the Gospel in 
the day of judgment will be the con- 
version and salvation of souls. The 
object of the apostle in dwelling on 
this in a manner so tender and affec- 
tionate is, to show them that his leav- 
ing them, and his long absence from 
them, were not caused by any want 
of affection for them. 

REMARKS. 

(1.) Ministers of the Gospel should 
be entirely sincere, and without guile. 
They should attempt to carry no meas- 
ure—not even the conversion of sin- 
ners — by trick or management. Ver.3-5. 



32 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A J). 52. 



(2.) They should not make it a point 
to please men. Verse 4. If they do 
please men, or if their ministry is ac- 
ceptable to men, they should not re- 
gard it, indeed, as proof that they are 
unfaithful, for they "should have a 
good report of them that are without;" 
nor should they make it a point to 
displease men, or consider it a proof 
that because men are offended, there- 
fore they are faithful; but it should 
not be their leading aim or purpose 
to gratify men. They should preach 
the truth; and if they do this, God 
will take care of their reputation, and 
will give them just as much as they 
ought to have/ The same principle 
should operate with all Christians. 
They should do right, and leave their 
reputation with God. Compare Psa. 
xxxvii. 5, 6. 

(3.) Ministers of the Gospel should 
be gentle, tender, and affectionate. 
They should be kind in feeling, and 
courteous in manner— like a father or 
a mother. Verses 7-11. Nothing is 
ever gained by a sour, harsh, crabbed, 
dissatisfied manner. Sinners are nev- 
er scolded either into duty or into 
heaven. "Flies are not caught with 
vinegar." No man is a better or more 
faithful preacher because he is rough 
in manner, coarse or harsh in his ex- 
pressions, or sour in his intercourse 
with mankind. Not thus was the 
Master, or Paul. There is no crime in 
being polite and courteous ; none in 
observing the rules of good breeding, 
and paying respect to the sensibilities 
of others; and there is no piety in 
outraging the laws which society has 
•found necessary to adopt to promote 
happy intercourse. What is wrong we 
should indeed oppose — but it should 
be in the kindest manner toward the 
persons of those who do wrong ; what 
is true and right we should maintain 
and defend— and we shall always .do it 
more effectually if we do it kindly. 

(4.) Ministers should be willing to 
labor in any proper calling, if it is 
necessary for their own support or to 
do good. Verse 9. It is, indeed, the 
duty of a people to support the Gos- 
pel, but there may be situations where 
they are not able to do it, and a min- 
ister should be able to earn something 
in some other way, and should be will- 
ing to do it. Paul made tents; and 
if he was willing to do that, a minister 
should not feel himself degraded if he 
js obliged to make shoes ; or to hoe 



corn, or to plow, or to keep cattle. 
He had better not do it, if he can avoid 
it well — for he needs his time for his 
more important work ; but he should 
feel it no dishonor if he is obliged to 
do it, and should feel that it is a priv- 
ilege to preach the Gospel even if he 
is obliged to support himself by mak- 
ing either tents or shoes. It is no 
dishonor for a minister to work hard ; 
and it is not well for a man to enter 
the ministry wholly unacquainted 
with every other way of procuring an 
honest living. 

(5.) Every minister should be able 
to appeal to the people among whom 
he has labored in proof that he is an 
honest man, and lives consistently 
with his profession. Vs. 1, 9, 10, 11. 
The same remark applies to all other 
Christians. They should so live that 
they may at once refer to their neigh- 
bors in proof of the uprightness of 
their lives, and their consistent walk. 
But to be enabled to do this, a man 
should live as he ought— for the world 
generally forms a very correct esti- 
mate of character. 

(6.) The joy of a minister in the day 
of judgment will be measured by the 
amount of good which he has done, 
and the number of souls which he has 
been the means of converting and sav- 
ing. Ver. 19. It will not be the hon- 
or which he has received from men ; 
the titles which they have conferred 
on him ; the commendation which he 
has received for eloquence, for talent, 
or for learning, but it will be found in 
the number of those who have been 
converted from the error of their ways, 
and in the evidence of the good which 
he did on the earth. And will not the 
same thing be substantially true of all 
others who bear the Christian name? 
Will it then be a source of joy to them 
that they were richer than their neigh- 
bors ; or that they were advanced to 
higher honors; or that they had a 
more splendid mansion ; or that they 
were able to fare more "sumptuous- 
ly ?" The good that we do will be re- 
membered certainly with pleasure in 
the day of judgment: of how many 
other things which now interest us so 
much can the same thing be said? 

(7.) Paul expected evidently to rec- 
ognize the Thessalonian Christians at 
the day of judgment, for he said that 
they would be then his "joy and crown 
of rejoicing." Verse 19. But this 
could not be, unless he should be able 



AJD. 52.] 



CHAPTER III. 



33 



CHAPTER III. 

WHEREFORE when we 
could no longer forbear, we 



to know those who had been convert- 
ed by his instrumentality. If he ex- 
pected to recognize them, and to re- 
joice with them, then we also may 
hope to know our pious friends in 
that happy world. Nothing in the 
Bible forbids this hope, and we can 
hardly believe that God has created 
the strong ties which bind us to each 
other to endure for the present life 
only. If Paul hoped to meet those 
who had been converted by his instru- 
mentality, and to rejoice with them 
there, then the parent may hope to 
meet the child over whose loss he 
mourned ; the husband and wife will 
meet again ; the pious children of a 
family will be re-assembled; and the 
pastor and his flock will be permitted 
to rejoice together before the Lord. 
This hope, which nothing in the Bible 
forbids us to entertain, should do 
much to alleviate the sorrow of the 
parting pang, and may be an important 
and powerful inducement to draw our 
own thoughts to a brighter and a bet- 
ter world. Of many of the living it is 
true that the best and dearest friends 
which they have are already in heaven 
— and how should their own hearts 
pant that they may meet them there ! 

CHAPTER III. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter is a continuation of 
the course of thought pursued in the 
previous chapter, and seems designed 
to meet the same state of feeling ex- 
isting in Thessalonica, and the same 
objections which some there urged 
against the apostle. The objection 
seems to have been, that he had real- 
ly no attachment for them, and no re- 
gard for their welfare; that he had 
fled from them on the slightest dan- 
ger; and that when the danger was 
passed he had not returned, but had 
left them to bear their afflictions 
alone. It appears to have been infer- 
red from his long absence that he had 
no solicitude for their welfare, and 
had brought them into difficulties, to 
escape from which, or to bear which, he 
was now indisposed to render any as- 
sistance. It was important, therefore, 
for him to remind them of what he 
had actually done, and to state his real 
B 2 



thought it good to be left at Athens 
alone ; 

2 And sent a Timotheus, our broth- 

a Acts 17. 15. 

feelings toward them. He refers them, 
therefore, to the following things as 
proof of his interest in them, and his 
affection for them : 

(1.) He had sent Timothy to them 
at great personal inconvenience, when 
he could not go himself. Ver. 1-5. 

(2.) He had been greatly comforted 
by the report which Timothy had 
brought of their steadfastness in the 
faith. Verses 6-8. Every expression 
of their attachment to him had gone 
to his heart, and their faith and char- 
ity had been to him in his trials the 
source of unspeakable consolation. 
His very life depended, as it were, on 
their fidelity, and he says that he 
should live and be happy if they stood 
fast in the Lord. Ver. 8. 

(3.) He expresses again the earnest 
desire which he had to see them ; says 
that it had been to him the subject of 
unceasing prayer night and day, and 
beseeches God again now that he 
would be pleased to direct his way to 
them. Ver. 9-11. 

(4. ) As a proof of affection, the chap- 
ter is closed with a fervent prayer that 
God would cause them to abound more 
and more in love, and would estab- 
lish their hearts unblameable before 
him. Vs. 12, 13. The Thessalonians 
well knew the apostle Paul. They had 
had abundant proof of his love when 
he was with them ; and if his enemies 
there had succeeded in any degree in 
causing their affection toward him to 
become cool, or to excite suspicions 
that he was not sincere, their love 
must have been rekindled, and their 
suspicions must have been entirely al- 
layed by the expressions of attachment 
in this chapter. Language of warmer 
love, or of deeper interest in the wel- 
fare of others, it would not be possible 
to find any where. 

1. Wherefore: See ch. ii. 18. This 
particle (oid) is designed here to refer 
to another proof of his aflection for 
them. One evidence had been referred 
to in his strong desire to visit them, 
which he had been unable to accom- 
plish (ch. ii. 18), and he here refers to 
another, to wit, the fact that he had 
sent Timothy to them. H We could no 
longer forbear. That is, when / could 



34 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



er, and minister of God, and our 
fellow -laborer in the Gospel of 

not (verse 5), for there is every evi- 
dence that Paul refers to himself only, 
though he uses the plural form of the 
word. There was no one with him 
at Athens after he had sent Timothy 
away (Acts xvii. 15 ; xviii. 5), and this 
shows that when, in ch. ii. 6, he uses 
the term apostles in the plural number, 
he refers to himself onfv, and does not 
mean to give the name to Timothy and 
Silas. If this be so, Timothy and Si- 
las are no where called "apostles" in 
the New Testament. The word ren- 
dered here could forbear (o-reyoi/Tf ?), 
means, properly, to cover, to conceal; and 
then to hide or conceal anger, impa- 
tience, weariness, etc., that is, to hold 
out as to any thing, to bear with, to 
endure. It is rendered suffer in 1 Cor. 
ix. 12 ; beareth, 1 Cor. xiii. 7 ; and/or- 
bear, 1 Thess. iii. 1, 5. I*t is not else- 
where used in the New Testament. It 
means that he could no longer bear up 
under, hide, or suppress his impatience 
in regard to them — his painful emo- 
tions — his wish to know of their state 
— and he therefore sent Timothy to 
them. If We thought it good. I was will- 
ing to suffer the inconvenience of 
parting with him in order to show my 
concern for you. ^ To be left at Athens 
alone. Paul had been conducted to 
Athens from Berea, where he remain- 
ed until Silas and Timothy could come 
to him. Acts xvii. 15. It appears from 
the statement here that Timothy had 
joined him there, but such was his so- 
licitude for the Church at Thessaloni- 
ca, that he very soon after sent him 
there, and chose to remain himself 
alone at'Athens. Why he did not him- 
self return to Thessalonica is not sta- 
ted. It is evidently implied here that 
it was a great personal inconvenience 
for him thus to part with Timothy, and 
to remain alone at Athens, and that he 
evinced a strong love for the Church 
at Thessalonica by being willing to 
submit to it. What that inconvenience 
consisted in he has ng£ stated, but it 
is not difficult to understand. (1.) He 
was among total strangers, and, when 
Timothy was gone, without an ac- 
quaintance or friend. (2.) The aid of 
Timothy was needed in order to pros- 
ecute the work which he contempla- 
ted. He had requested that Timothy 
should join him as soon as possible 
when he left Berea (Acts xvii. 15), and 



Christ, to establish you, and to com- 
fort you concerning your faith : 

he evidently felt it desirable that in 
preaching the Gospel in that city he 
should have all the assistance he could 
obtain. Yet he was willing to forego 
these comforts and advantages in or- 
der to promote the edification of the 
Church at Thessalonica. 

2. And sent Timotheus. That is, evi- 
dently, he sent him from Athens — for 
this is the fair construction of the pas- 
sage. But in the history (Acts xvii.) 
there is no mention that Timothy came 
to Athens at all, and it may be asked 
how this statement is reconcilable with 
the record in the Acts ? It is men- 
tioned there that "the brethren sent 
away Paul [from Berea] to go, as it 
were, to the sea ; but Silas and Timo- 
theus abode there still. And they 
that conducted Paul brought him to 
Athens." Acts xvii. 14, 15. The his- 
tory further states, that after Paul had 
remained some time at Athens he went 
to Corinth, where he was joined by 
Timothy and Silas, who came to him 
"from Macedonia." Acts xviii. 5. But, 
in order to reconcile the account in 
the Acts with the statement before us 
in the epistle, it is necessary to sup- 
pose that Timothy had come to Athens. 
In reconciling these accounts, we may 
observe that, though the history does 
not expressly mention the arrival of 
Timothy at Athens, yet there are cir- 
cumstances mentioned which render 
this extremely probable. First, as soon 
as Paul reached Athens, he sent a mes- 
sage back to Silas and Timothy to come 
to him as soon as possible, and there 
is every probability that this request 
would be obeyed. Acts xvii. 15. Sec- 
ondly, his stay at Athens was on pur- 
pose that they might join him there. 
"Now whilst Paul ivaitedfor them at 
Athens, his spirit was stirred within 
him." Acts xvii. 16. Thirdly, his de- 
parture from Athens does not appear 
to have been in any sort hastened or 
abrupt. He had an opportunity of 
seeing the city (Acts xvii. 23) ; he dis- 
puted in the synagogue and in the 
market " daily" (Acts xvii. 17); he held 
a controversy with the philosophers 
(Acts xvii. 18-22) ; he made converts 
there (Acts xvii. 24), and "after these 
things" he calmly went to Corinth. 
There was no tumult or excitement, 
and it is not suggested that he was 
driven away, as in otherplaces, because 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER III. 



35 



3 That a no man should be moved 
by these afflictions : for yourselves 

a Eph.3. 13. 

his life was in danger. There was, 
therefore, ample time for Timothy to 
come to him there — for Paul was at 
liberty to remain as long as he pleased, 
and as he stayed there for the express 
purpose of having Timothy and Silas 
meet him, it is to be presumed that 
his wish was in this respect accom- 
plished. Fourthly, the sending back of 
Timothy to Macedonia, as mentioned in 
the epistle, is a circumstance which 
will account for the fact mentioned in 
Acts xviii. 5, that Timothy came to 
him "at Corinth" instead of at Athens. 
He had given directions for him to 
meet him at Athens (Acts xvii. 15), but 
the history mentions only that he met 
him, after along delay, at Corinth. This 
delay, and this change of place, when 
they rejoined each other for the pur- 
pose of laboring together, can only be 
accounted for by the supposition that 
Timothy had come to him at Athens, 
and had been immediately sent back to 
Macedonia, with instructions to join 
him again at Corinth. This is one of 
the "undesigned coincidences" be- 
tween the history in the Acts of the 
Apostles and the epistles of Paul, of 
which Paley (Hor.Paid.) has made so 
good use in demonstrating the genu- 
ineness of both. " The epistle discloses 
a fact which is not preserved in the 
history; but which makes what is said 
in the history more significant, prob- 
able, and consistent. The history 
bears marks of an omission ; the epistle 
furnishes a circumstance which sup- 
plies that omission." ^ Our brother. 
See Notes on Col. i. 1. The mention 
of his being a "brother" is designed to 
show his interest in the Church there. 
He did not send one whose absence 
would be no inconvenience to himself, 
or for whom he had no regard. He 
sent one who was as dear to him as a 
brother. *[[ And minister of God. An- 
other circumstance showing his affec- 
tion for them. He did not send a lay- 
man, or one who could not be useful 
w r ith him or to them, but he sent one 
fully qualified to preach to them, and 
to break to them the bread of life. 
One of the richest tokens of affection 
which can be shown to any people, is 
to send to them a faithful minister of 
God. If Arid our fellow-laborer in the 
Gospel of Christ. A third token of af- 



know that we h are appointed there- 
unto. 

b John 16. 3. 1 Cor. 4. 9. 2 Tim. 3. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 21. 



fectionate interest in their welfare. 
The meaning is, u I did not send one 
whom I did not want, or who could 
be of no use here, but one who was a 
fellow-laborer with me, and whose aid 
would have been of essential service 
to me. In parting with him, therefore, 
for your welfare, I showed a strong at- 
tachment for you. I was willing to en- 
dure personal inconvenience, and ad- 
ditional toil, in order to promote your 
welfare." II To establish you. To 
strengthen you, to make }~ou firm — 
GTiipigai. This was to be done by pre- 
senting such considerations as would 
enable them to maintain their faith 
steadfastly in their trials. *ft And to 
comfort you concerning your fa ith. It 
is evident that they were suffering per- 
secution on account of their faith in 
the Lord Jesus ; that is, for their be- 
lief in him as a Saviour. The object 
of sending Timothy was to suggest 
such topics of consolation as would 
sustain them in their trials — that is, 
that he was the Son of God ; that the 
people of God had been persecuted in 
all ages ; that God was able to support 
them, etc. 

3. That no man should be moved. The 
word rendered moved (aaLvco) occurs 
nowhere else in the New Testament. 
It properly means to wag, to move to 
and fro, as of dogs which wag their tails 
in fondness (Horn. Od. K., 216 ; Ml. A. 
N.,x.,7; Ovid, xiv., 258); then to ca- 
ress, to fawn upon, to flatter ; then to 
move or waver in mind — as from fear ; 
to dread, to tremble. See Passow and 
"Wetstein. Here the sense is, to be so 
moved or agitated by fear, or by the ter- 
ror of persecution, as to forsake their 
religion. The object of sending Tim- 
othy was, that they might not be thus 
moved, but that, amidst all opposi- 
tion, they might adhere steadfastly to 
their religion. T[ These afflictions. See 
Notes on ch. ii. 14. TT For yourselves 
know that we are appointed thereunto. It 
is not quite certain whether by the 
word "we" here the apostle refers to 
himself, or to himself and the Thes- 
salonians, or to Christians in general. 
On either supposition what he says is 
true, and either would meet the case. 
It would be most to the purpose, how- 
ever, to suppose that he means to state 
the general idea that all Christians are 



38 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



4 For verily, when we were with 
you, we told you before that we 
should suffer tribulation ; even as 
it came to pass, and ye know. 

5 For this cause, when a I could 
no longer forbear, I sent to know 

a Ver. 1. 



exposed to persecution, and could not 
hope to avoid it. It would then ap- 
pear that the Thessalonians had par- 
taken only of the common lot. Still 
there may have been a special refer- 
ence to the fact that Paul and his fel- 
low-laborers there were subjected to 
trials ; and if this be the reference, the 
idea is that the Thessalonians should 
not be "moved" by their trials, for 
even their teachers were not exempt. 
Even their enemies could not say that 
the apostle and his co-workers were 
impostors, for they had persevered in 
preaching the Gospel when they knew 
that these trials were coming upon 
them. The phrase " we are appointed 
thereunto," means that such was the 
divine arrangement. No one who pro- 
fessed Christianity could hope to be ex- 
empted from trial, for it was the com- 
mon lot of all believers. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Cor. iv. 9 ; 2 Tim. iii. 12. 

4. For verily, when we were with you, 
we told you before, etc. It is not men- 
tioned in the history (Acts xvii.) that 
Paul thus predicted that peculiar tri- 
als would come upon them, but there 
is no improbability in what is here 
said. He was with them long enough 
to discourse to them on a great vari- 
ety of topics, and nothing can be more 
probable than that, in their circum- 
stances, the subjects of persecution 
and affliction would be prominent top- 
ics of discourse. There was every rea- 
son to apprehend that they would 
meet with opposition on account of 
their religion, and nothing was more 
natural than that Paul should endeav- 
or to prepare their minds for it be- 
forehand. If That we should suffer trib- 
ulation. We who preached to you; 
perhaps also including those to whom 
they preached. If Even as it came to 
2iass, and ye know. When Paul, Silas, 
and Timothy were driven away, and 
when the Church was so much agi- 
tated by the opposition of the Jews. 
Acts xvii. 5-8. 

5. For this cause. Since I knew that 
you were so liable to be persecuted, 
and since I feared that some might be 



your faith, lest 1 by some means the 
tempter have tempted you, and our 
labor c be in vain. 

6 But now when Timotheus came 
from you unto us, and brought us 
good tidings of your faith and 

6 2 Cor. 11.2.3. c Gal. 4. 11. 

turned from the truth by this opposi- 
tion. T[ When I could no longer for- 
bear. See Notes on ver. 1. If I sent to 
know your faith. That is, youi 'fidelity, 
or your steadfastness in the Gospel. 
H Lest by some means. Either by allure- 
ments to apostasy set before you by 
your former heathen friends, or by 
the arts of false teachers, or by the 
severity of suffering. Satan has many 
methods of seducing men from the 
truth, and Paul was fearful that by some 
of his arts he might be successful there. 
1[ The tempter. Satan ; for though the 
Jews were the immediate actors in 
those transactions, yet the apostle re- 
garded them as being under the direc- 
tion of Satan, and as accomplishing his 
purposes. He was, therefore, the real 
author of the persecutions which had 
been excited. He is here called the 
"Tempter," as he is often (comp. Matt, 
iv.), and the truths taught are, (1.) that 
Satan is the great author of persecu- 
tion ; and (2. ) that in a time of persecu- 
tion — or of trial of any kind — he en- 
deavors to tempt men to swerve from 
the truth, and to abandon their religion. 
In persecution, men are tempted to 
apostatize from God in order to avoid 
suffering. In afflictions of other kinds, 
Satan oft en tempts the sufferer to mur- 
mur and complain ; to charge God with 
harshness, partiality, and severity, and 
to give vent to expressions that will 
show that religion has none of its 
boasted power to support the soul in 
the day of trial. Comp. Job i. 9-11. 
In all times of affliction, as well as in 
prosperity, we may be sure that "the 
Tempter'*' is not far off, and should be 
on our guard against hi^wiles. 1[ And 
our labor be in vain. By your being- 
turned from the faith. See Notes on 
Gal. iv. 11. 

6. But now when Timotheus came from 
you unto us. To Corinth, after he had 
been sent to Thessalonica. Acts xviii. 
5. Compare Notes on ver. 2. H And 
brought vts good tidings. A cheerful or 
favorable account. Greek," evangel- 
izing;" that is, bringing good news. 
If Of your faith. Of your faithfulness 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER III. 



37 



charity, and that ye have good re- 
membrance of us always, desiring a 
greatly to see us, as we also to see 
you; 

7 Therefore, brethren, we were 
comforted 6 over you, in all our af- 
fliction and distress, by your faith : 

8 For now we live, if ye stand 
fast c in the Lord. 

a Phil. 1.8. b 2 Cor. 7. 6,7. c Eph. 6. 13,14. Phil. 4.1. 



or fidelity. Amid all their trials they 
evinced fidelity to the Christian cause. 
IT And charity. Love. See Notes on 
1 Cor. xiii. 1. If And that ye have good 
remembrance of us always. That is, prob- 
ably, they showed their remembrance 
of Paul by obeying his precepts, and 
by cherishing an affectionate regard 
for him, notwithstanding the efforts 
■which had been made to alienate their 
affections from him. T[ Greatly desiring 
to see us, as we also to see you. There 
was no disposition to blame him for 
having left them, or because he did 
not return to them. They would have 
welcomed him again as their teacher 
and friend. The meaning of this is, 
that there was between him and them 
a strong mutual attachment. 

7. We are comforted over you.- See 
Notes on 2 Cor. i. 3-7 ; vii. 6, 7. The 
sense here is, that their steadfastness 
was a great source of consolation to 
Mm in his trials. It was an instance 
in which the holy lives and the fidel- 
ity of a people did much, as will al- 
ways be the case, to lighten the bur- 
dens and cheer the heart of a minister 
of the Gospel. In the inevitable tri- 
als of the ministerial office there is no 
source of comfort more rich and pure 
than this. 

8. For now we live, if ye standfast in 
the Lord. This is equivalent to saying, 
" My life and comfort depend on your 
stability in the faith, and your correct 
Christian walk. I seem to live. I truly 
live." Comp. Martial, vi., 70. Non est 
vivere, sed valere, vita — " Life consists 
not merely in living, but in the enjoy- 
ment of health." See, also, Seneca, 
Epis. 99, and Manilius, iv., 5, as quoted 
by Wetstein. The meaning here is, 
that Paul now enjoyed life; he had that 
which constituted real life, in the fact 
that they acted as became Christians, 
and so as to show that his labor among 
them had not been in vain. The same 
thing here affirmed is true of all faith- 



9 For what thanks can we render 
to God again for you, for all the 
joy where with we joy for your sakes 
before our God ; 

10 Night and day praying exceed- 
ingly that we might see your face, 
and might perfect d that which is 
lacking in your faith ? 

11 Now God himself and our Fa- 

d 2 Cor. 13.9,11. Col. 4. 12. 



ful ministers of the Gospel. They feel 
that they have something that may 
be called life, and that is worth living 
for, when those to whom they preach 
maintain a close walk with God. 

9. For what thanks can we render to 
God again. That is, what expression 
of thanksgiving can we render to God 
which will be an equivalent for the joy 
which your holy walk has furnished, or 
which will suitably express our grati- 
tude for it. 

10. Night and day. Constantly. 
^fraying exceedingly. Gr., abundant- 
ly ; that is, there was much more than 
ordinary prayer. He made this a spe- 
cial subject of prayer; he urged it with 
earnestness, and without intermission. 
Compare ch. ii. 17. If And might per- 
feci that which is lacking in your faith. 
Might render it complete, or fill up any 
thing which is wanting. The word 
here used (KarapTiaaL) means, prop- 
erly, to make fully ready, to put full in 
order, twnake complete. See Notes on 
Rom. W. 22 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 9 ; Gal. vi. 1. 
It is rendered mending, Matt. iv. 21; 
Mark i. 19 ; perfect and perfected, Matt, 
xxi. 19 ; Luke vi. 40 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 11 ; 
1 Thess. iii. 10 ; Heb. xiii. 21 ; 1 Pet. v. 
10; fitted, Rom. ix. 22; perfectly joined 
together, 1 Cor. i. 10 ; restore, Gal. vi. 1 ; 
prepared, Heb. x. 5 ; and framed, Heb. 
xi. 3. It is not elsewhere used in the 
New Testament. The meaning here 
is, that whatever was deficient in their 
views of religious doctrine the apostle 
desired to supply. It is to be remem- 
bered that he was with them but a 
comparatively short time before he 
was compelled to depart to Berea, and 
it is reasonable to suppose that there 
were many subjects on which he would 
be glad to have an opportunity to in- 
struct them more fully. 

11. Now God himself This is evi- 
dently a prayer. He earnestly sought 
of God that he might be permitted to 
visit them, and that he would so pre- 



38 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



ther, and our Lord Jesus Christ 1 di- 
rect our way unto you. 

12 And the Lord make you to in- 
crease and abound in love a one to- 
ward another, and toward all men, 
even as we do toward you : 

1 or, guide. a 1 John 4. 7-12. 



pare the way that he might do it. 
H And our Father. Even our Father. 
The reference is particularly to the 
"Father," the First Person of the 
Trinity. It does not refer here to the 
divine nature in general, or to God as 
such, but to God as the Father of the 
Lord Jesus. It is a distinct prayer of- 
fered to him that he would direct his 
way to them. It is right therefore to 
offer prayer to the Father as such — as 
the First Person of the Trinity. H And 
our Lord Jesus Christ. This also is a 
prayer as much as the former was, for 
it can be understood in no other waj r . 
What can be its meaning, unless the 
apostle believed that the Lord Jesus 
had power to direct his way to them, 
and that it was proper for him to ex- 
press this wish to him ; that is, to pray 
to him ? If this be so, then it is right 
to pray to the Lord Jesus, or to wor- 
ship him. See Notes on John xx. 28 ; 
Acts i. 24. Would Paul have prayed 
to an angel to direct his way to the 
Church at Thessalonica ? If Direct our 
way unto you. Marg., guide. The Greek 
word — kcitevSuv co — means to guide 
straight toward or upon anvfhing. 
It is rendered guide in Luke Wl), and 
direct here and in 2 Thess. iii. 5. It does 
not elsewhere occur in the New Tes- 
tament. The idea is that of conduct- 
ing one straight to a place, and not by 
a roundabout course. Here the pe- 
tition is that God would remove all 
obstacles so that he could come di- 
rectly to them. 

12. And the Lord make you to increase 
and abound in love. Comp. Notes on 
2 Cor. ix. 8. The word "Lord" here 
probably refers to the Lord Jesus, as 
this is the name by which he is com- 
monly designated in the New Testa- 
ment. See Notes on Acts i. 24. If 
this be so, then this is a petition to the 
Lord Jesus as the fountain of all grace 
and goodness. 

13. To the end he may establish your 
hearts. That is," may the Lord cause 
you to increase in love (ver. 12), in or- 
der that you may be established, and 
be without blame in the day of judg- 



13 To the end he may . stablish 
your hearts 6 unblameable in holi- 
ness before God, even our Father, 
at the coming 6 of our Lord Jesus 
Christ with all his saints. 

b 2 Thess. 2.17. 1 John 3. 20, 21 . 
c Zee. 14. 5. Jude 14. 

ment." The idea is that if charity 
were diffused through their hearts, 
they would abound in every virtue, 
and would be at length found blame- 
less. U Unblameable. See Notes on ch. 
i. 10 ; Phil. ii. 15 ; iii. 6 ; Heb. viii. 7. 
Comp. Luke i. 6 ; 1 Thess. v. 23. The 
meaning is, so that there could be no 
charge or accusation against them. ^[ In 
holiness. Not in outward conduct mere- 
ly, or in the observance of rites and 
forms of religion, but in purity of 
heart*. H At the coming of our Lord Je- 
sus Christ. To ju^ge the world. See 
Notes on ch. i. 10. As we are to ap- 
pear before him, we should so live that 
our Judge will find nothing in us to 
be blamed. *fi With all his saints. With 
all his holy ones — twv ayiwv. The word 
includes his angels who will come with 
him (Matt. xxv. 31), and all the re- 
deemed who will then surround him. 
The idea is that before that holy as- 
semblage it is desirable that we should 
be prepared to appear blameless. We 
should be fitted to be welcomed to the 
" goodly fellowship" of the angels, and 
to be regarded as worthy to be num- 
bered with the redeemed who "have 
washed their robes, and have made 
them white [pure or clean] in theblood 
of the Lamb." When we come to 
appear amid that vast assemblage of 
holy beings, the honors of the world 
will appear to be small things ; the 
wealth of the earth will appear worth- 
less, and all the pleasures of this life be- 
neath our notice. Happy will they be 
who are prepared for the solemnities 
of that day, and who shall have led 
such a life of holy love— of pure devo- 
tion to the Redeemer— of deadness to 
the world — of zeal in the cause of pure 
religion — of universal justice, fidelity, 
honesty, and truth, as to be without 
reproach, and to meet with the appro- 
bation of their Lord. 

CHAPTER IV. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter, properly, comprises 
two parts : First, various practical ex- 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



39 



CHAPTER IV. 

FURTHERMORE cfchen we 1 be- 
seech you, brethren, and 2 ex- 
hort you by the Lord Jesus, that* 
as ye have received of us how ye 
ought to walk a and to please God, 

1 or, request. 2 or, beseech. 



so ye would abound 6 more and 
more. 

2 For ye know what command- 
ments we gave you by the Lord 
Jesus. 

3 For this is the will of God, even 

a Col. 1.10. 6 1 Cor. 15.58. 



hortations, ver. 1-12 ; and, secondly, 
suggestions designed to console those 
who had been bereaved. Ver. 13-18. 

The first part embraces the follow- 
ing topics : 
* (1.) An exhortation to increase and 
abound in the Christian virtues which 
they had already manifested. Vs. 1, 2. 

(2.) A particular exhortation on the 
subject of sanctification (ver. 3-8), in 
which two points are specified, proba- 
bly as illustrations of the general sub- 
ject, and embracing those in regard to 
whom they were "exposed to special 
danger. The first was fornication, the 
other was fraud. 

(3.) An exhortation to brotherly 
love. Vs. 9, 10. 

(4.) An exhortation to quiet indus- 
try, and to honesty in their dealings, 
particularly with those who were not 
Christians. Vs. 11, 12. 

The second part is designed to com- 
fort the Thessalonians who had been 
bereaved. Ver. 13-18. Some of'their 
number had died. They appear to 
have been beloved members of the 
Church, and dear friends of those to 
whom the apostle wrote. To console 
them he brings into view the doctrine 
of the second coming of the Saviour, 
and the truth that they would be 
raised up to live with him forever. 
He reminds them that those who had 
died were "asleep" — reposing in a 
gentle slumber, as if they were to be 
awakened again (verse 13) ; that they 
should not sorrow as those did who 
had no hope (ver. 13) ; that if they be- 
lieved that Jesus died and rose again, 
they ought to believe that God would 
raise up all those who sleep in Jesus 
(verse 14) ; that in the last day they 
would rise before the living should be 
changed, or that the living would not 
be taken up to heaven and leave their 
departed friends in their graves (vs. 15, 
16), and that both the living and the 
dead would be raised up to heaven, 
and would be forever with the Lord. 
Ver. 17. With this prospect, they had 
every ground of comfort which they 
could desire, and they should sustain 



each other in their trials by this bright 
hope. Ver. 18 

1. Furthermore then. T6\onr6v. "As 
to what remains." That is, all that re- 
mains is to ofler these exhortations. 
See Notes on 2 Cor. xiii.ll; Gal.vi.17; 
Eph. vi. 10 ; Phil. iv. 8. The phrase is 
a formula appropriate to the end of an 
argument or discourse. ^We beseech 
you. Margin, request. The Greek is 
"we ask you" — kpuoTw^v. It is not as 
strong a word as that which follows. 
y And exhort you. Marg. , beseech. This 
is the word which is commonly used 
to denote earnest exhortation. The 
use of these words here implies that 
Paul regarded the subject as of great 
importance. He might have com- 
manded them — but kind exhortation 
usually accomplishes more than a 
command. "f[ By the Lord Jesus. In 
his name and by his authority. 
IT That as ye have received of us. As 
you were taught by us. Paul doubt- 
less had given them repeated instruc- 
tions as to their duty as Christians. 
^LToio ye ought to walk. That is, how 
you ought to live. Life is often rep- 
resented as a j ourn ey . Rom . vi. 4 ; viii. 
1 ; 1 Cor. v. 7 ; Gal. vi. 16 ; Eph. iv. 1. 
If So ye would abound more and more. 
" That is, follow the directions which 
they had received more and more ful- 
ly."— Abbott. 

2. For ye know ivhat commandments. 
It was but a short time since Paul was 
with them, and they could not but 
recollect the rules of living which he 
had laid down. ^ By the Lord Jesus. • 
By the authority of the Lord Jesus. 
Some of those rules or command- 
ments the apostle refers to, probably, 
in the following verses. 

3. For this is the ivill of God, even your 
sanctification. It is the will or com- 
mand of God that you should be holy. 
This does not refer to the purpose or 
decree of God, and does not mean that 
he intended to make them holy; but 
it means that it was his command that 
they should be h^y. • It is also true 
that it is agreeabre to the divine will 
or purpose that Christians shoidd be 



40 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



your sanctification, that a ye should 
abstain from fornication : , 
4 That every one of you should 
know how to possess his vessel in 
sanctification and honour ; 

a 1 Cor. 6. 15, 18. b Eph. 4. 17, 18. 

holy, and that God means to use such 
an influence as to secure this; but 
this is not the truth taught here. This 
text, therefore, should not be brought 
as a proof that God intends to make 
his people holy, or that they are sanc- 
tified. It is a proof only that he re- 
quires holiness. The word here ren- 
dered sanctification — ayiaa/uids — is not 
used in the Greek classics, but is sev- 
eral times found in the New Testa- 
ment. It is rendered holiness, Rom. 
vi. 19, 22 ; 1 Thess. iv. 7; 1 Tim. ii. 15 ; 
Heb.xii. 14; and sanctification,! Cor.i. 
30; 1 Thess. iv. 3, 4; 2 Thess. ii. 13, and 
1 Pet. i. 2. See Notes on Rom. vi. 19; 
1 Cor. i. 30. It means here purity of 
life, and particularly abstinence from 
those vices which debase and degrade 
the soul. Sanctification consists in 
two things, (1.) in "ceasing to do evil," 
and (2.) in "learning to do well." Or 
in other words, the first work of sanc- 
tification is in overcoming the pro- 
pensities to evil in our nature, and 
checking and subduing the unholy 
habits which we had formed before we 
became Christians; the second part of 
the work consists in cultivating the 
positive principles of holiness in the 
soul. TT That ye should abstain from 
fornication. A vice which was freely 
indulged among the heathen, and to 
which, from that fact, and from their 
own former habits, they were particu- 
larly exposed. On the fact that they 
were thus exposed, and on the reasons 
for these solemn commands on the 
subject, see Notes on Acts xv. 20 and 
1 Cor. vi. 18. 

. 4. That every one of you should know 
how to possess his vessel. The Greek 
here would properly mean to gain pos- 
session of; to acquire for one's own 
use ; and, if applied to the body, would 
mean that the man should secure or 
gain possession of his own body ; that 
is, should rescue it from the dominion 
or slavery of lust and passion. The 
word vessel here (ovceDos) probably re- 
fers to the body. When it is so used, 
it is either because the body is frail 
and feeble, like an earthen vessel, easi- 
ly broken (2 Cor. iv. 7), or because it is 



5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, 
even as theS^entiles b which know 
not God : 

6 That no man go beyond and 1 
defraud his brother in 2 any mat- 

1 or, oppress ; or, overreach. 2 or, the. 



that which contains the soul, or in 
which the soul is lodged. Lucret. , lib. 

Hi., 441. The word vessel also (Heb. 

Gr. (tkevos) was used by the later He- 
brews to denote a wife, as the vessel 
of her husband. Schoettg. , Hor. Heb. , 
p. 827. Comp. Wetstein, inloc. Many, 
as Augustine, Wetstein, Schcettgen, 
Koppe, Robinson {Lex.), and others, 
have supposed that this is the refer- 
ence here. Comp. 1 Pet. iii. 7. The 
word body, however, accords more nat- 
urally with the usual signification of 
the word, and as the apostle was giv- 
ing directions to the whole Church, 
embracing both sexes, it is hardly 
probable that he confined his direc- 
tion to those who had wives. It was 
the duty of females, and of the unmar- 
ried among the males, as well as of 
married men,to observe this command. 
The injunction then is that we should 
preserve the body pure. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. vi. 18-20. In sanctification 
and honor. Should not debase or pol- 
lute it; that is, that we should honor 
it as a noble work of God, to be em- 
ployed for pure purposes. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. vi. 19. 

5. Not in the lust of concupiscence. In 
gross gratifications. ^Even as the Gen- 
tiles. This was, and is, a common vice 
among the heathen. See Notes on 
Acts xv. 20, Rom. i. 29; Eph. iv. 17, 18, 
and the reports of missionaries every 
where. H Which know not God. See 
Notes on Rom. i. 21, 28. Comp. Eph. 
ii. 12. 

6. That no man go beyond. vTrsppai- 
velv. This word means to make to go 
over, as, for example, a wall or mount- 
ain ; then, to overpass, to wit, certain 
limits, to transgress; and then to go 
too far, that is, to go beyond right- 
hence to cheat or defraud. It is not 
used elsewhere in the New Testament. 
The idea of overreaching is that which 
is implied in its use here. If And de- 
fraud. ttXeovektsZv. Marg., oppress, 
or overreach. This word properly 
means to have more than another; 
then to have an advantage ; and then 
to take advantage of any one, to cir- 



I 



A.D. 52.] 

ter; because that the Lord is the 
avenger of all such, as we also 'have 
forewarned you and testified. 

7 For God hath not called us 
unto uncleanness, but a unto holi- 
ness. 

a Lev. 11.44. Heb. 12. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 14-16. 

cumvent, defraud, cheat. It is render- 
ed get an advantage, 2 Cor. ii. 11 ; de- 
fraud, 2 Cor. vii. 2; 1 Thess. iv. 6 ; 
make a gain, 2 Cor. xii. 17, 18. Comp. 
for the use of the adjective, 1 Cor. v. 10, 
11 ; vi. 10 ; Eph. v. 5 ; and the noun, 
Mark vii. 22 ; Luke xii. 15 ; Rom. i. 29 ; 
2 Cor. ix. 5 ; Eph. v. 3 ; Col. iii. 5 ; 1 
Thess. ii. 5; 2 Pet. ii. 3, 14. It is the 
word commonly used to denote cov- 
etousness. Taking advantage of is the 
idea which it conveys here. II In any 
matter. Margin, "or the." According 
to the reading in the margin, this 
would refer to the particular matter 
under discussion (verse 3-5), to wit, 
concupiscence, and the meaning then 
would be that no one should be guilty 
of illicit intercourse with the wife of 
another. Many expositors— as Ham- 
mond, Whitby, Macknight, Rosenmul- 
ler, and others, suppose that this is a 
prohibition of adultery, and there can 
be no doubt that it does include' this. 
But there is no reason why it should 
he confined to it. The Greek is so 
general that it may prohibit all kinds 
of fraud, overreaching, or covetousness, 
and may refer to any attempt to de- 
prive another of his rights, whether it 
he the right which he has in his prop- 
erty, or his rights as a husband, or his 
rights in any other respect. It is a 
general command not to defraud; in 
no way to take advantage of another ; 
in no way to deprive him of his rights. 
% Because that the Lord is the avenger of 
all such. Of all such as are guilty of 
fraud; that is, he will punish them. 
Comp. Notes on Rom. xii. 19 ; Eph. vi. 
9. As we have also forewarned. Doubt- 
less when he was with them. 

7. For God hath not called us unto un- 
cleanness. When he called us to be his 
followers, it was not that we should 
lead lives of impurity, but of holiness. 
We should, therefore, fulfill the pur- 
poses for which we were called into 
his kingdom. The word uncleanness 
(aKaSapcria) means, properly, impuri- 
ty, filth; and then, in a moral sense, 
pollution, lewdness,^ opposed to chas- 
tity. Rom. i. 24; vi. 19; 2 Cor. xii. 



41 

8 He therefore that 1 despiseth, 
despiseth not man, but God, who 
hath also given unto us his holy 
Spirit. 

9 But as touching brotherly love, 
ye need not that I write unto you ; 

1 or, rejecteth. 

21; Gal. v. 19; Eph. iv. 19; v. 3; Col. 
iii. 5. 

8. He therefore that despiseth. Marg., 
rejecteth. That is, he who disregards 
such commands as these which call 
him to a holy life, is really rejecting 
and disobeying God. Some might be 
disposed to say that these were mere- 
ly the precepts of man, and that there- 
fore it was not important whether 
they were obeyed or not. The apos- 
tle assures them in the mosf solemn 
manner that, though communicated to 
them by man, yet they were really the 
commands of God. 1 Who hath also 
given unto us his holy Spirit. This is 
a claim to inspiration. Paul did not 
give these commands as his own, but 
as taught by the Spirit of God. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 40. 

9. But as touching brotherly love. The 
"peculiar charity and affection which 
one Christian owes to another." — 
Doddridge. See Notes on John xiii. 
34. Ye need not that I write unto you. 
That is, as I have done on the other 
points. They were so taught of God 
in regard to this duty that they did 
not need any special instruction. 
% For ye yourselves are taught of God. 
The word here rendered "taught of 
God" — SzocLdaKToL — occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. It is cor- 
rectly translated, and must refer here 
to some direct teaching of God on their 
own hearts, for Paul speaks of their 
being so taught by him as to need no 
special precepts in the case. He prob- 
ably refers to that influence exerted 
on. them when they became Chris- 
tians, by w T hich they were led to love 
all who bear the divine image. He 
calls this being " taught of God," not 
because it was of the nature of revela- 
tion or inspiration,but because it was 
in fact the teaching of God in this case, * 
though it was secret and silent. God 
has many ways of teaching men. The 
lessons which we learn from his Prov- 
idence are a part of his instructions. 
The same is true of the decisions of 
our own consciences, and Of the secret 
and silent influence of ]iis Spirit on 



CHAPTER IV. 



3 



9 



42 

for ye yourselves are taught a of 
God to love one another. 

10 And indeed ye do it toward 
all the brethren which are in all 

a John 15.12,17. 

our hearts, disposing us to love what 
is lovely, and to do what ought to be 
done. In this manner all true Chris- 
tians are taught to love those who 
bear the image of their Saviour: They 
feel that they are brethren ; and such 
is their strong attachment to them, 
from the very nature of religion, that 
they do not need any express com- 
mand of God to teach them to love 
them. It is one of the first, the ele- 
mentary effects of religion on the soul, 
to lead us to love "the brethren" — 
and to do this is one of the evidences 
of piety'about which there need be no 
danger of deception. Comp. 1 John 
iii. 14. 

10. And indeed ye do it. See Notes 
on ch. i. 7. ®I But we beseech you, breth- 
ren, that ye increase more and more. See 
Notes on ch.iii.12. Here, as elsewhere, 
the apostle makes the fact that they 
deserved commendation for what they 
had done a stimulus to arouse them to 
still higher attainments.-— Bloomfield. 

11. And that ye study to be quiet. Or- 
derly, peaceful ; giving in the practice 
of the calm virtues of life. The duty 
to which he would exhort them was 
that of being subordinate to the laws; 
of avoiding all tumult and disorder; 
of calmly pursuing their regular avo- 
cations, and of keeping themselves 
from all the assemblages of the idle, 
the restless, and the dissatisfied. No 
Christian should be engaged in a mob; 
none should be identified with the 
popular excitements which lead to 
disorder and to the disregard of the 
laws. The word rendered "ye study" 
{(pikoTLiJiiofxai) means, properly, to love 
honor, to be ambitious ; and here means 
the same as when we say, "to make 
it a point of honor to do so and so." — 
Robinson, Lex. It is to be regarded as a 
sacred duty; a thing in which our hon- 
or is concerned. Every man should re- 
gard himself as disgraced who is con- 
cerned in a riot or a mob. ^ And to 
do your own business. To attend to 
their own concerns, without interfer- 
ing with the affairs of others. See 
Notes on Phil. ii. 4 ; Comp. 2 Thess. iii. 
11 ; 1 Tim. v. 13 ; 1 Pet. iv. 13. The in- 
junction here is one of the beautiful 
precepts of Christianity so well adapt- 



[A.D. 52. 

Macedonia : but we beseech you, 
brethren, that ye increase more 
and more : 
11 And that ye study to be quiet, 



ed to promote the good order and the 
happiness of society. It would pre- 
vent the impertinent and unauthorized 
prying into the affairs of others, to 
which many are so prone, and produce 
that careful attention to what proper- 
ly belongs to our calling in life, which 
leads to thrift, order, and competence. 
Religion teaches no man to neglect 
his business. It requires no one to 
give up an honest calling, and to be 
idle. It asks no one to forsake a use- 
ful occupation, unless he can exchange 
it for one more useful. It demands, 
indeed, that we shall be willing so far 
to suspend our ordinary labors as to 
observe the Sabbath; to maintain hab- 
its of devotion; to improve our minds 
and hearts by the study of truth ; to 
cultivate the social affections, and to 
do good to others as we have an oppor- 
tunity; but it makes no one idle, and 
it countenances idleness in no one. A 
man who is habitually idle can have 
very slender pretensions to piety. 
There is enough in this world for every 
one to do, and the Saviour set such an 
example of untiring industry in his vo- 
cation as to give each one occasion to 
doubt whether he is his true follower 
if he is not disposed to be employed. 
H And to work with your own hands, as 
we commanded you. This command is 
not referred to in the history (Acts 
xvii.), but it is probable that the apos- 
tle saw that many of those residing in 
Thessalonica were disposed to spend 
their time in indolence, and hence in- 
sisted strongly on the necessity of be- 
ing engaged in some useful occupation. 
Comp. Acts xvii. 31. Idleness is one 
of the great evils of the heathen world 
in almost every country, and the par- 
ent of no small part of their vices. 
The effect of religion every where is to 
make men industrious; and every man, 
who is able, should feel himself under 
sacred obligation to be employed. 
God made man to work (comp. Gen. 
ii. 15 ; iii. 19), and there is no more be- 
nevolent arrangement of his govern- 
ment than this. No one who has al- 
ready enough for himself and family, 
but who can make money to do good 
to others, has a right to retire from 
business and to live in idleness (comp. 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



m 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



43 



and to a do your own business, and 
to work with your own hands, as 
we commanded you ; 

a 1 Pet. 4. 15. 

Acts xx. 34; Eph. iv. 27); no one has 
a right to live in such a relation as to 
be wholly dependent on others, if he 
can support himself; and no one has 
a right to compel others to labor for 
him, and to exact their unrequited toil, 
in order that he may be supported in 
indolence and ease. The application 
of this rule to all mankind would 
speedily put an end to slavery, and 
would convert multitudes, even in the 
Church, from useless to useful men. 
If a man has no necessity to labor for 
himself and family, he should regard 
it as an inestimable privilege to be per- 
mitted to aid those who can not work 
— the sick, the aged, the infirm. If a 
man has no need to add to what he 
has for his own temporal comfort, 
what a privilege it is for him to toil 
in promoting public improvements; 
in founding colleges, libraries, hospi- 
tals, and asylums; and in sending the 
Gospel to those who are sunk in 
wretchedness and want ! No man un- 
derstands fully the blessings which 
God has bestowed on him, if he has 
hands to work and will not work. 

12. That ye may walk honestly toward 
them that are ivithout. Out of the 
Church. Comp. Notes on Col. iv. 5. 
The word rendered honestly, means be- 
comingly, decorously, in a proper man- 
ner. Rom. xiii. 13 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 40. It 
does not refer here to mere honesty 
in the transaction of business, but to 
their general treatment of those who 
were not professing Christians. They 
were to conduct themselves toward 
them in all respects in a becoming 
manner — to be honest with them ; to 
be faithful to their engagements ; to 
be kind and courteous in their inter- 
course ; to show respect where it was 
due, and to endeavor in every way to 
do them good. There are few pre- 
cepts of religion more important than 
those which enjoin upon Christians 
the duty of aproper treatment of those 
who are not connected with the 
Church. T[ And that ye may have lack 
of nothing. Marg.,wo man. The Greek 
will bear either construction, but the 
translation in the text is probably the 
correct one. The phrase is to be taken 
in connection not merely with that 
which immediately precedes it— as if 



12 That ye may walk honestly 6 
toward them that are without, and 
that ye may have lack of 1 nothing. 

b Rom. 13. 13. lor, no man. 

" their walking honestly toward those 
who were without" would preserve 
them from want— but as meaning that 
their .industrious and quiet habits, 
their 'patient attention to their own 
business, and their upright dealing 
with every man, would do it. They 
would, in this way, have a competence, 
and would not be beholden to others. 
Learn hence that it is the duty of a 
Christian so to live as not to be de- 
pendent on others, unless he is made 
so by events of divine Providence 
which he can not foresee or control. 
No man should be dependent on oth- 
ers as the result of idle habits, of ex- 
travagance and improvidence, of the 
neglect of his own business, and of in- 
termeddling with that of others. If 
by age, losses, infirmities, sickness, he 
is made dependent, he can not be 
blamed, and he should not repine at 
his lot. One of the ways in which a 
Christian may always do good in so- 
ciety, and honor his religion, is by 
quiet and patient industry, and by 
showing that religion prompts to 
those habits of economy on which the 
happiness of society so much depends. 
It is not quite easy to see the connec- 
tion of the commands in these verses 
(10, 11) with what precedes or with 
what follows, or to understand what 
particular occasion there was in the 
Church at Thessalonica, as we may 
presume there was some occasion, for 
giving these instructions. It may have 
been either (a) that the liberality 
which the apostle so much commends 
as abounding among them (verse 10) 
involved some elements of a "restless, 
meddling, and practically idle spirit," 
that exposed them to accusations from 
those who were "without" (Ellicott, 
in loc.) ; or (5) that their mistaken ex- 
pectations of the near approach of the 
"day of the Lord"— the coming of the 
Saviour— the end of the world— led 
them to a neglect of their regular du- 
ties and avocations, as if there was no 
use in trying to gain any thing, or as 
if the things of this world had no value 
—an effect which has always followed 
an unfounded expectation of the im- 
mediate approach of the end of the 
world; or (c) that by this neglect of 
their proper worldly employments, 



44 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



13 But I would not have you to 
be ignorant, brethren, concerning 
them which are asleep, that ye sor- 

and abandonment of industrious hab- 
its, they made themselves really de- 
pendent on the charity of their fellow- 
men for support, and that thus their 
conduct tended to bring religion into 
reproach from men of the world. Any 
of these causes may have produced a 
state of things such as that which is 
implied in these commands, and we 
know that human nature is such that 
such things as these might have exist- 
ed in the Church. 

13. But I would not have you to be ig- 
norant. I would have you fully in- 
formed on the important subject which 
is here referred to. It is quite proba- 
ble from this, that some erroneous 
views prevailed among them in refer- 
ence to the condition of those who 
were dead, which tended to prevent 
their enjoying the full consolation 
which they might otherwise have 
done. Of the prevalence of these 
views it is probable the apostle had 
been informed by Timothy on his re- 
turn from Thessalonica. Chap. iii. 6. 
What they were we are not distinctly 
informed, and can onl} T gather from 
the allusions which Paul makes to 
them, or from the opposite doctrines 
which he states, and which are evident- 
ly designed to correct those which 
prevailed among them. From these 
statements, it would appear that they 
supposed that those who had died, 
though they were true Christians, 
would be deprived of some important 
advantages which those would pos- 
sess who would survive to the coming 
of the Lord. There seems some rea- 
son to suppose, as Koppe conjectures 
(compare also Saurin, Serm., vi., 1), 
that the cause of their grief was two- 
fold; one, that some among them 
doubted whether there would be any 
resurrection (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 12), and 
that they supposed that they who had 
died were thus cut off from the hope 
of eternal happiness, so as to leave 
their surviving friends to sorrow" as 
those who had no hope;" the other, 
that some of them believed that, 
though those who were dead would 
indeed rise again, yet it would be long 
after those who were living when the 
Lord Jesus would return had been 
taken to glory, and would be always 
in a condition inferior to them. See 



row not, even as others which have 
no hope. 
14 For if we believe that Jesus 

Koppe, in loc. The effect of such opin- 
ions as these can be readily imagined. 
It would be to deprive them of the 
consolation which they might have 
had, and should have had, in the loss 
of their pious friends. They would 
either mourn over them as wholly 
cut off from hope, or would sorrow 
that they were to be deprived of the 
highest privileges which could result 
from redemption. It is not to be re- 
garded as wonderful that such views 
should have prevailed in Thessalonica. 
There were those even at Corinth who 
wholly denied the doctrine of the res- 
urrection (1 Cor. xv. 12) ; and we are 
to remember that those to whom the 
apostle now wrote had been recently 
converted from heathenism ; that they 
had enjoyed his preaching but a short 
time; that they had few or no books 
on the subject of religion ; and that 
they were surrounded by those who 
had no faith in the doctrine of the res- 
urrection at all, and who were doubt- 
less able — as skeptical philosophers 
often are now — to urge their objec- 
tions to the doctrine in such a way as 
greatly to perplex Christians. The 
apostle, therefore, felt the importance 
of stating the exact truth on the sub- 
ject, that they might not have unnec- 
essary sorrow, and that their unavoid- 
able grief for their departed friends 
might not be aggravated by painful 
apprehensions about their future con- 
dition. ^[ Concerning them which are 
asleep. It is evident from this that 
they had been recently called to part 
with some dear and valued members 
of their Church. The word sleep is 
frequently applied in the New Testa- 
ment to the death of saints. For the 
reasons why it is, see the Notes on 
John xi. 11; lCor.xi.30; xv.51. ; H That 
ye soy*row not, even as others which have 
no hope. That is, evidently, as the hea- 
then, who had no hope of future life. 
Comp. Notes on Eph. ii. 12." Their 
sorrow was caused not only by the 
fact that their friends were removed 
from them by death, but from the fact 
that they had no evidence that their 
souls were immortal; or that, if they 
still lived, they were happy ; or that 
their bodies would rise again. Hence, 
when they buried them, they buried 
their hopes in the grave, and, so far as 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



45 



they had any evidence, they were nev- 
er to see them again. Their grief at 
parting was not mitigated by the be- 
lief that the soul was now happy, or 
by the prospect of again being with 
them in a better world. It was on 
this account, in part, that the heathens 
indulged in expressions of such ex- 
cessive grief. When their friends died, 
they hired men to play in a mournful 
manner on a pipe or trumpet, or wom- 
en to howl and lament in a dismal 
manner. They beat their breasts; 
they uttered loud shrieks; they rent 
their garments; they tore off their 
hair ; they cast dust on their heads, or 
sat down in ashes. It is not improb- 
able that some among the Thessalo- 
nians, on the death of their pious 
friends, kept up these expressions of 
excessive sorrow. To prevent this, 
and to mitigate their sorrow, the apos- 
tle refers them to the bright hopes 
which Christianity had revealed, and 
points them to the future glorious re- 
union with the departed pious dead. 
Learn hence, (1.) that the world with- 
out religion is destitute of hope. It 
is just as true of the heathen world 
now as it was of the ancient pagans, 
that they have no hope of a future 
state. They have no evidence that there 
is any such future state of blessedness ; 
and without such evidence there can be 
no hope. Comp. Notes on Eph. ii. 12. 
(2.) That the excessive sorrow of the 
children of this world, when they lose 
a friend, is not to be wondered at. 
They bury their hopes in the grave. 
They part, for all that they know or 
believe, with such a friend forever. 
The wife, the son, the daughter, they 
consign to silence— to decay — to dust, 
not expecting to meet them again. 
They look forward to no glorious res- 
urrection when that body shall rise, 
and when they shall be reunited to 
part no more. It is no wonder that 
they weep — for who would not weep 
when he believes that he parts with 
his friends forever? (3.) It is only the 
hope of future blessedness that can 
mitigate this sorrow. Religion re- 
veals a brighter world— a world where 
all the pious will be reunited; where 
the bonds of love will be made stronger 
than they were here ; where they will 
never be severed again. It is only this 
hope that can soothe the pains of grief 
at parting; only when we can look 
forward to a better world and feel that 
we shall see them again— love them 



again — love them forever — that our 
tears are made dry. (4.) The Chris- 
tian, therefore, when he loses a Chris- 
tian friend, should not sorrow as oth- 
ers do. He will feel, indeed, as keenly 
as they do, the loss of their society ; 
the absence of their well-known faces; 
the want of the sweet voice of friend- 
ship and love — for religion does not 
blunt the sensibility of the soul, or 
make the heart unfeeling. Jesus wept 
at the grave of Lazarus, and religion 
does not prevent the warm, gushing 
expressions of sorrow when God comes 
into a family and removes a friend. 
But this sorrow should not be like 
that of the world. It should not be 
(a) such as arises from the feeling that 
there is to be no future union ; (b) it 
should not be accompanied with re- 
pining or complaining; (c) it should 
not be excessive, or beyond that which 
God designs that we should feel. It 
should be calm, submissive, patient ; 
it should be that which is connected 
with steady confidence in God; it 
should be mitigated by the hope of a 
future glorious union in heaven. The 
eye of the weeper should look up 
through his tears to God. The heart 
of the sufferer should acquiesce in him, 
even in the unsearchable mysteries of 
his dealings, and feel that all is right. 
(5.) It is a sad thing to die without 
hope— so to die as to have no hope 
for ourselves, and to leave none to our 
surviving friends that we are kappy. 
Such is the condition of the whole 
heathen world ; and such the state of 
those who die in Christian lands who 
have no evidence that their peace is 
made with God. As I love my friends 
— my father, my mother, my wife, my 
children, I would not have them go 
forth and weep over my grave as those 
who have no hope in my death. I 
would have their sorrow for my de- 
parture alleviated by the belief that 
my soul is happ^ with my God, even 
when they commit my cold clay to the 
dust; and were there no other reason 
for being a Christian, this would be 
worth all the effort which it requires 
to become one. It would demonstrate 
the unspeakable value of religion, that 
my living friends may go forth to my 
grave and be comforted in their sor- 
rows with the assurance that my soul 
is already in glory, and that my body 
will rise again ! No eulogium for tal- 
ents,accomplishments,or learning; no 
pa?ans of praise for eloquence, beauty, 



48 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



died and rose again, even so a them 
also which sleep in Jesus will God 
bring with him. 

a 1 Cor. 15. 20, etc. 

or martial deeds; no remembrances 
of wealth and worldly greatness, would 
then so meet the desires which my 
heart cherishes, as to have them ena- 
bled, when standing around my open 
grave, to sing the song which only 
Christians can sing : 

Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb, 
Take this new treasure to thy trust ; 

And give these sacred relics room 
To seek a slumber in the dust. 

Nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear 
Invade thy bounds. No mortal woes 

Can reach the peaceful sleeper here, 
While angels watch the soft repose. 

So Jesus slept : God's dying Son 
Pass'd thro' the grave, and blest the bed ; 

Rest here, blest saint, till from his throne 
The morning break, and pierce the shade. 

Break from his throne, illustrious morn ; 

Attend, O Earth, his sovereign word ; 
Tiestore thy trust — a glorious form — 

Call'd to ascend, and meet the Lord. 

Watts. 

14. For if we believe that Jesus died mid 
rose again. That is, if we believe this, 
we ought also to believe that those 
who have died in the faith of Jesus 
will be raised from the dead. The 
meaning is not that the fact of the res- 
urrection depends on our believing that 
Jesus rose, but that the death and res- 
urrection of the Saviour are connected 
with the resurrection of the saints; 
that the one follows from the other, 
and that the one is as certain as the 
other. The doctrine of the resurrec- 
tion of the saints so certainly follows 
from that of the resurrection of Christ, 
that, if the one is believed, the other 
ought to be also. See Notes on 1 Cor. 
xv. 12-14. Which sleep in Jesus. A 
most beautiful expression. It is not 
merely that they have calm repose- 
like a gentle slumber— in the hope of 
awaking again, but that this is "in 
Jesus"— or " through" (Sua) him ; that 
is, his death and resurrection are the 
cause of their quiet and calm repose. 
They do not u sleep" in heathenism, or 
in infidelity, or in the gloom of atheism 
— but in the blessed hope which Jesus 
has imparted. They lie, as he did, in 
the tomb — free from pain and sorrow, 
and with the certainty of being raised 
up again. 



15 For this we say unto you by 
the word of the Lord, that we 
which are alive, and remain unto 



They sleep in Jesus, and are bless'd, 
How kind their slumbers are ; 

From sufferings and from sin released, 
And freed from every snare. 

When, therefore, we think of the death 
of saints, let us think of what Jesus 
was in the tomb of Joseph of Arima- 
thea. Such is the sleep of our pious 
friends now in the grave ; such will be 
our own when we die. *j[ Will God 
bring with him. This does not mean 
that God will bring them with him 
from heaven when the Saviour comes 
—though it will be true that their 
spirits will descend with the Saviour; 
but it means that he will bring them 
from their graves, and will conduct 
them with him to glory, to be with 
him. Comp. Notes on John xiv. 3. 
The declaration, as it seems to me, is 
designed to teach the general truth 
that the redeemed are so united with 
Christ that they will share the same 
destiny as he does. As the head was 
raised, so will all the members be. As 
God brought Christ from the grave, 
so will he tfring them ; that is, his res- 
urrection made it certain that they 
will rise. It is a great and universal 
truth that God will bring all from their 
graves who "sleep in Jesus;" or that 
they will all rise. The apostle does 
not, therefore, refer so much to the 
time when this will occur — meaning 
that it will happen when the Lord Je- 
sus returns — as to the fact that there 
is an established connection between 
him and his people, which makes it 
certain that if they die united with 
him by faith, they will be as certainly 
brought from the grave as he was. If, 
however, it means, as Prof. Bush {Ana- 
stasis, p. 268, 267) supposes, that they 
will be brought with him from heaven, 
or will accompany him down, it does 
not prove that there must have been 
a previous resurrection, for the full 
force of the language would be met 
by the supposition that their spirits 
had ascended to heaven, and would be 
brought with him to be united to their 
bodies when raised. If this be the 
correct interpretation, then there is 
probably an allusion to such passages 
as the following, representing the com- 
ing of the Lord accompanied by his 
saints. "The Lord my God shall 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



47 



the coming of the Lord, shall not 
prevent them which are asleep. 



come, and all the saints with thee." 
Zech.xiv.5. "And Enoch, the seventh 
from Adam, prophesied of these, say- 
ing*, Behold, the Lord cometh, with ten 
thousand of his saints." Jude 14. 
"Who," says Pres. Dwight (&rm.,p. 
164), "are those whom God will bring 
with him at this time ? Certainly not 
the bodies of his saints. . . . The only 
answer is, he will bring with him 'the 
spirits of just men made perfect.' " 

15. For this we say unto you by the 
word of the Lord. By the command, or 
inspired teaching of the Lord. Prof. 
Bush (Anastasis, p. 265) supposes that 
the apostle here alludes to what the 
Saviour says in Matthew xxiv. 30, 31. 
"And they shall see the Son of man 
coming in the clouds of heaven," etc. 
It is possible that Paul may have de- 
signed a general allusion to all that 
the Lord had said about his coming, 
but there can not have been an exclu- 
sive reference to that passage, for in 
what he says here there are several 
circumstances mentioned to which 
the Saviour in Matthew does not al- 
lude. The probability, therefore, is, 
that Paul means that the Lord Jesus 
had made a special communication to 
him on the subject. % That we which 
are alive. See this fully explained in 
the Notes on 1 Cor. xv. 51. From this 
expression, it would seem that some 
of the Thessalonians supposed that 
Paul meant to teach that he himself, 
and many of the living, would survive 
until the coming of the Lord Jesus, 
and, of course, that that event was 
near at hand. That this was not his 
meaning, however, he is at special 
pains to show in 2 Thess. ii. 1-10. 
IT And remain unto the coming of the 
Lord. Those Christians who will then 
be alive. % Shall not prevent them which 
are asleep. Shall not precede ; antici- 
pate; go before. The word prevent 
with us is now commonly used in the 
sense of hinder, but this is never its 
meaning in the Scriptures. The word, 
in the time of the translators of the 
Bible, was used in its primitive and 
proper sense {praivenio), meaning to 
precede, or anticipate. Job iii. 12, 
"Why did the knees prevent me?" 
That is, why did they anticipate me, 
so that I did not perish. Psa. lxxix. 
8, "Let thy tender mercies speedily 



16 For a the Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven with a shout, 

a Matt. 24. 30,31. 

prevent us;" that is, go before us in 
danger. Psa. cxix. 147, 4 'I prevented the 
dawning of the morning, and cried;" 
that is, I anticipated it, or I prayed be- 
fore the morning dawned. Matt. xvii. 
25, "Jesus prevented him, saying;" 
that is, Jesus anticipated him ; he 
commenced speaking before Peter had 
told him what he had said. Compare 
Psalms xvii. 13 ; lix. 10 ; lxxxviii. 13 ; 
xcv. 2; 2 Sam. xxii. 6, 19; Job xxx. 
27 ; xli. 11. The meaning he$£ is, that 
they who would be alive at the com- 
ing of the Lord Jesus, would not be 
" changed" and received up into glory 
before those who were in their graves 
were raised up. The object seems to 
be to correct an opinion which pre- 
vailed among the Thessalonians that 
they who should survive to the com- 
ing of the Lord Jesus would have great 
advantages over those who had died. 
What they supposed those advantages 
would be — whether the privilege of 
seeing him come, or that they would 
be raised to higher honors in heaven, 
or that they who had died would not 
rise at all — does not appear, nor is the 
origin of this sentiment known. It is 
clear, however, that it was producing 
an increase of their sorrow on the 
death of their pious friends, and hence 
it was very important to correct the 
error. The apostle, therefore, states 
that no such disadvantage could fol- 
low, for* the matter of fact was, that 
the dead would rise first. 

16. For the Lord himself shall descend 
from heaven. See Notes on Acts i. 11. 
If With a shout. The word here used 
(idAtva/uLa), does not elsewhere occur 
in the New Testament. It properly 
means a cry of excitement, or of urg- 
ing on ; an outcry, clamor, or shout, 
as of sailors at the oar, Luc, Catapl., 
19; of soldiers rushing to battle, Thuc, 
iii. , 14 ; of a multitude of people, Diod. 
Sic. , iii. , 15 ; of a huntsman to his dogs, 
Xen., Yen., vi., 20. It does not mean 
here that the Lord would himself 
make such a shout, but that hew ould 
be attended with it ; that is, with a 
multitude who would lift up the voice 
like that of an army rushing to the 
conflict. T[ With the voice of the arch- 
angel. The word archangel occurs no- 
where else in the New Testament, ex- 
cept in Jude 9, where it is applied to 



48 



I. THESSALONIAKS. 



[A.D. 52. 



with the voice of the archangel, 
and with the trump of God : and 
the dead in Christ shall rise first : a 

a Rev. 20. 5, 6. 

Michael. It properly means a chief 
angel; one who is first, or who is over 
others — apx^v. The word is not found 
in the Septuagint, and the only arch- 
angel, therefore, which is named in the 
Scriptures, is Michael. Jude9. Comp. 
Key. xii. 7. Seven angels, however, 
are referred to in the Scriptures as 
having an eminence above others, and 
these are commonly regarded as arch- 
angels. ;i Rev. viii. 2. 4k And I saw the 
seven angels which stood before God. ' ' 
One of these is supposed to be refer- 
red to in the Book of Tobit, xii. 15, 
" I am Raphael, one of the seven holy 
angels, which present the prayers of 
the saints, and which go in and out 
before the glory of the Holy One." 
The names of three only of the seven 
are mentioned in the J ewish writings : 
Michael, the patron of the Jewish na- 
tion, Dan. x. 13, 21 ; xii. 1. Gabriel, 
Dan. viii. 16; ix. 21. Comp. Luke i. 
19, 26. Raphael, Tobit iii. 17; v. 4; 
viii. 2 ; ix. 1, 5 ; xii. 15. The Book of 
Enoch adds that of Uriel, p. 187, 190, 
191, 193. Michael is mentioned as one 
" of the chief princes," Daniel x. 13 ; 
and as " the great prince," Dan. xii. 1. 
Comp. Notes on Eph. i. 21, and see an 
article by Prof. Stuart in the Bibli- 
otheca Sacra, No. 1, on Angelology. It 
seems evident from the Scriptures, 
that there is one or more among the 
angels to whom the name archangel 
properly belongs. This view is in ac- 
cordance with the doctrine in the 
Scriptures that the heavenly beings 
are divided into ranks and orders, for, 
if so, it is not unreasonable to suppose 
that there should be one or more to 
whom the most exalted rank apper- 
tains. Comp. Rev. xii. 7. Whether 
there is more than one to whom this 
name appropriately belongs, it is im- 
possible now to determine, and is not 
material. The word here (in Greek) 
is without the article, and the phrase 
might be rendered, "with the voice 
of an archangel." The Syriac renders 
it, "with the voice of the prince of 
the angels." On an occasion so au- 
gust and momentous as that of the 
coming of the final Judge of all man- 
kind, the resurrection of the dead, and 
the solemn transactions before the 
tribunal of the Son of God deciding 



17 Then we which are alive and 
remain shall be caught up togeth- 
er with them in b the clouds, to 

b Rev. 11. 12. 

the destin}^ of countless millions for- 
ever, it will not be inappropriate that 
the highest among the heavenly hosts 
should be present and take an impor- 
tant part in the solemnities of the day. 
It is not quite certain what is meant 
here by " the voice of the archangel," 
or for what purpose that voice will be 
heard. It can not be that it will be 
to raise the dead — for that will be by 
the "voice of the Son of God" (John 
v. 28, 29), and it seems most probable 
that the meaning is, that this will be 
a part of the loud shout or cry which 
will be made by the descending hosts 
of heaven, or the voice of the archan- 
gel, for the purpose of summoning the 
world to the bar of judgment. Comp. 
Matt. xxiv. 31. *ff And with the trump 
of God. The trump which God ap- 
points to be sounded on that solemn 
occasion. It does not mean that it 
will be sounded by God himself. See 
Notes on Matt. xxiv. 31. *^And the 
dead in Christ. Christians. ^ Shall 
rise first. That is, before the living 
shall be changed. A doctrine similar 
to this was held by the Jews. "Resch 
Lachisch said, Those who die in the 
land of Israel, shall rise first in the 
days of the Messiah." SeeWetstein, 
in loc. It is implied in all this de- 
scription, that the interval between 
their resurrection and the change 
which will occur to the living, will be 
brief, or that the one will rapidly suc- 
ceed the other. Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. 
xv. 23,51,52. 

17. Then we which are alive. Those 
who will then be alive. See ver. 15. 
The word here rendered the?i(f.7r£LTa), 
does not necessarily mean that this 
would occur immediately. It proper- 
ly marks succession in time, and means 
afterward, next, next in the order of events, 
Luke xvi. 7; Gal. i. 21; James iv. 14. * 
There may be a considerable interval 
between the resurrection of the pious 
and the time when the living shall be 
caught up to meet the Lord, for the 
change is to take place in them which 
will fit them to ascend with those who 
have been raised. The meaning is, 
that after the dead are raised, or the 
next thing in order, they and the living- 
will ascend to meet the Lord. The 
proper meaning of the word, however, 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



49 



meet the Lord in the ajr : and so 
shall we ever be a with the Lord. 

a John 14, 3. 

denotes a succession so close as to ex- 
clude the idea of a long interval in 
which other important transactions 
would occur, such an interval, for ex- 
ample, as would be involved in a long 
personal reign of the Kedeemer on 
earth. The word demands this inter- 
pretation — that the next thing in order 
after the resurrection of the righteous, 
will be their being caught up with the 
living, with an appropriate change, 
into the air— though, as has been re- 
marked, it will admit of the supposi- 
tion of such a brief, momentary inter- 
val (ev aTOfxco,kv pLTrrj 6(p$a\/j.ov,l Cor. 
xv. 51,52) as will be necessary to pre- 
pare for it. Shall be caught up. The 
word here used implies that there will 
be the application of external force or 
power by which this will be done. It 
will not be by any power of ascending 
which they will themselves have, or 
by any tendency of their raised ox 
changed bodies to ascend of their owlr 
accord, or even by any effort of their 
own will, but by a power applied to 
them which will cause them to rise. 
Comp. the use of the. word dpiraX^o} in 
Matthew xi. 12, "the violent take it by 
force;" xiii. 19, u then cometh the 
wicked one and snatcheth away ;" 
John vi. 15, "that they would come 
and take him by force;" x. 12, "the 
wolf catcheth them; Acts viii. 39, "the 
Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ;" 
2 Cor. xii. 2, "such a one caught up 
to the third heaven;" also, John xii. 
28,29; Acts xxiii. 10; Jude 23; Rev. 
xii. 5. The verb does not elsewhere 
occur in the New Testament. In all 
these instances there is the idea of 
foreign force or violence effecting that 
which is done. What force or power 
is to be applied in causing the living 
and the dead to ascend, is not express- 
ed. Whether it is to be by the minis- 
try of angels, or by the direct power 
)f the Son of God, is not intimated, 
though the latter seems to be most 
probable. The word should not be 
construed, however, as implying that 
there will be any reluctance on the 
part of the saints to appear before the 
Saviour, but merely with reference to 
the physical fact that power will be 
necessary to elevate them to meet him 
in the air. Will their bodies then be 
such that they will have the power of 
C 



18 Wherefore 1 comfort one an- 
other with these words. 

1 or, exhort. 

locomotion at will from place to place ? 
^ In the clouds. Gr., "in clouds" — iv 
vn(pi\ais — without the article. This 
may mean "in clouds;" that is, in 
such numbers, and in such grouping, 
as to resemble clouds. So it is ren- 
dered by Macknight, Koppe, Rosen- 
muller, Bush (Anasta.^. 266), and oth- 
ers. The absence of the article here 
would rather seem to demand this in- 
terpretation. Still, however, the other 
interpretation may be . true, that it 
means that they will be caught up into 
the region ofthe clouds, or to the clouds 
which will accompany the Lord Jesu# 
on his return to our world. Matt, 
xxiv. 30; xxvi. 64; Markxvi.26; xiv. 
62; Rev.i.7. Comp. Dan. vii. 13. In 
whichever sense it is understood, the 
expression is one of great sublimity, 
and the scene will be immensely grand. 
Some doctrine of this kind was held 
by the ancient Jews. Thus Rabbi 
Nathan (Midras Tiffin, xlviii.,13) says, 
"Wliat has been done before will be 
done again. As he led the Israelites 
from Egypt in the clouds of heaven, 
so will he do to them in the future 
time." U To meet the Lord in the air. 
In the regions of the atmosphere — 
above the earth. It would seem from 
this that the Lord Jesus, in his com- 
ing, would not descend to the earth, 
but would remain at a distance from 
it in the air, where the great transac- 
tions ofthe judgment will occur. It 
is, indeed, nowhere said that the trans- 
actions of the judgment will occur 
upon the earth. The world would not 
be spacious enough to contain all the 
assembled living and dead, and hence 
the throne of judgment will be fixed 
in the ample space above it. If And 
so shall toe ever be ivith the Lord. This 
does not mean that they will always 
remain with him in the air — for their 
final home will be heaven— and after 
the trial they will accompany him to 
the realms of gloiy. Matthew xxv. 34, 
"Come, ye blessed of my Father,inherit 
the kingdom," etc. The time during 
which they will remain with him "in 
the air," is nowhere mentioned in the 
Bible. It will be as long as will be 
necessary for the purposes of judging 
a world, and deciding the eternal doom 
of every individual "according to the 
deeds done in the body." There is 



50 



I. THE S SAL ONI ANS . 



[A.D.52. 



no reason to suppose that this will 
be accomplished in a single day of 
twenty-four hours; but it is impossi- 
ble to form any conjecture of the period 
which will be occupied. 

18. Wherefore comfort one another. 
Marg. , exhort. The word comfort prob- 
ably best expresses the meaning. 
They were to bring these glorious 
truths and these bright prospects be- 
fore their minds in order to alleviate 
the sorrows of bereavement. The top- 
ics of consolation are these : first, that 
those who had died in the faith would 
not always lie in the grave ; second, 
that when they rose they would not 
occupy an inferior condition because 
they were cut off before the coming 
@f the Lord ; and, third, that all Chris- 
tians, living and dead, would be re- 
ceived to heaven and dwell forever with 
the Lord. H With these words. That 
is, with these truths. 

KEMAEK S. 

1. This passage (ver. 13-18) contains 
a truth which is to be found in no 
heathen classic writer, and nowhere 
else except in the teachings of the New 
Testament. For the elevated and glo- 
rious view which it gives of future 
scenes pertaining to our world, and for 
all its inestimable consolations, we are 
wholly indebted to the Christian re- 
ligion. Reason, unassisted by reve- 
lation, never dared to conjecture that 
such scenes would occur ; if it had, it 
would have had no arguments on 
which the conjecture could be sup- 
ported. 

2. The death of the Christian is a 
calm slumber. Ver. 13. It is not an- 
nihilation ; it is not the extinction of 
hope. It is like gentle repose when 
we lie down at night, and when we 
hope to awake again in the morning; 
it is like the quiet, sweet sleep of the 
infant. Why, then, should the Chris- 
tian be afraid to die ? Is he afraid to 
close his eyes in sleep ? Why dread 
the night— the stillness of death ? Is 
he afraid of the darkness, the silence, 
the chilliness of the midnight hour, 
when his senses are locked in repose? 
Why should death to him appear so 
terrible ? Is the slumbering of an in- 
fant an object of terror ? 

3. There are magnificent scenes be- 
fore us. There is no description any 
where which is more sublime than that 
in the close of this chapter. Great 
events are brought together here, any 



one of which is more grand than all 
the pomp <5f courts, and all the sub- 
limity of battle, and all the grandeur 
of a triumphal civic procession. The 
glory of the descending Judge of all 
mankind ; the attending retinue of an- 
gels, and of the spirits of the dead ; 
the loud shout of the descending host ; 
the clangor of the archangel's trum- 
pet ; the bursting of graves and the 
coming forth of the millions there en- 
tombed ; the rapid, sudden, glorious 
change on the millions of living men ; 
the consternation of the wicked ; the 
ascent of the innumerable host to the 
regions of the air, and the solemn proc- 
ess of the judgment there — what has 
ever occurred like these events in this 
world ? And how strange it is that 
the thoughts of men are not turned 
away from the trifles — the show — the 
shadow— the glitter— the empty pag- 
eantry here— to these bright and glo- 
rious realities ! 

4. In those scenes we shall all be 
personally interested. If we do not 
survive till they occur, yet we shall 
4*ave an important part to act in them. 
We shall hear the archangel's trump; 
we shall be summoned before the de- 
scending Judge. In these scenes we 
shall mingle, not as careless specta- 
tors, but as those whose eternal doom 
is there to be determined, and with all 
the intensity of emotion derived from 
the fact that the Son of God will de- 
scend to judge us, and to pronounce 
our final doom ! Can we be too much 
concerned to be prepared for the so- 
lemnities of that day ? 

5. We have, in the passage before 
us, an interesting view of the order in 
which these great events will occur. 
There will be (1.) the descent of the 
Judge with the attending hosts of 
heaven; (2.) the raising up of the 
righteous dead ; (3.) the change which 
the living will undergo (comp. 1 Cor. 
xv. 52); (4.) the ascent to meet the 
Lord in the air; and (5.) the return 
with him to glory. W T hat place in this 
series of wonders will be assigned for 
the resurrection of the wicked is not 
mentioned here. The object of the 
apostle did not lead him to advert to 
that, since his purpose was to comfort 
afflicted Christians by the assurance 
that their pious friends would rise 
again, and would suffer no disadvan- 
tage by the fact that they had died 
before the coming of the Redeemer. 
From John v. 28, 29, however, it seems 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



51 



most probable that they will be raised 
at the same time with the righteous, 
and will ascend with them to the place 
of judgment in the air. 

6. There is no intimation here of a 
"personal reign" of Christ upon the 
earth. Indeed, there is no evidence 
that he will return to the earth at all. 
All that appears is, that he will de- 
scend "from heaven" to the regions 
of "the air," and there will summon 
the living and the dead to his bar. But 
there is no intimation that he will set 
up a visible kingdom then on earth, 
to continue a thousand or more years ; 
that the Jews will be re-collected in 
their own land ; that a magnificent city 
or temple will be built there ; or that 
the saints will reign personally with 
the Lord Jesus over the nations. 
There are two considerations in view 
of this passage, which, to my mind, are 
conclusive proof that all this is ro- 
mance—splendid and magnificent in- 
deed as an Arabian tale— but wholly 
unknown to the apostle Paul. The 
one is, that if this were to occur, it is 
inconceivable that there should have 
been no allusion to it here. It would 
have been such a magnificent concep- 
tion of the design of the Second Ad- 
vent, that it could not have failed to 
have been adverted to in a description 
like this. The other consideration is, 
that such a view would have been ex- 
actly in point to meet the object of the 
apostle here. What could have been 
more appropriate in comforting the 
Thessalonian Christians respecting 
those who had died in the faith than 
to describe the gorgeous scenes of the 
"personal reign" of Christ, and the 
important part which the risen saints 
were to play in that great drama? 
How can it be accounted for that the 
apostle did not advert to it ? Would 
a believer in the " personal reign" now be 
likely to omit so material a point in a de- 
scription of the scenes which are to occur 
at the "Second Advent?" 

7. The saints will be forever with 
the Lord. They will dw r ell with him 
in his own eternal home. John xiv. 
3. This expression comprises the sum 
of all their anticipated felicity and glo- 
ry. To be with Christ wilf be, in it- 
self, the perfection of bliss ; for it will 
be a security that they will sin no 
more, that they will suffer no more, 
and that they will be shielded from 
danger and death. They will have real- 
ized the object of their long, fond de- 



sire — that of seeing their Saviour; they 
will have suffered the last pang, en- 
countered the last temptation, and es- 
caped forever from the dominion of 
death. What a glorious prospect is 
this ! Assuredly we should be willing 
to endure pain, privation, and con- 
tempt here for the brief period of our 
earthly pilgrimage, if we may come at 
last to a world of eternal rest. What 
trifles are all earthly sorrows compared 
with the glories of an endless life with 
our God and Saviour ! 

8. It is possible that even the pros- 
pect of the judgment-day should be a 
source of consolation. Ver. 18. To 
most men it is justly an object of 
dread— for all that they have to fear 
is concentrated on the issues of that 
day. But why should a Christian fear 
it? In the descending Judge he will 
hail his Eedeemer and friend ; and just 
in proportion as he has true religion 
here, will be the certainty of his ac- 
quittal there. Nay, his feelings in an- 
ticipation of the judgment may be 
more than the mere absence of fear and 
alarm. It may be to him the source 
of positive joy. It will be the day of 
his deliverance from death and the 
grave. It will confirm to him all his 
long-cherished hopes. It will put the 
seal of approbation on his life spent 
in endeavoring to do the will of God. 
It will reunite him to his dear friends 
who have died in the Lord. It will ad- 
mit him to a fuU and glorious view 
of that Saviour whom "having not 
seen he has loved ;" and it will make 
him the companion of angels and of 
God. If there is any thing, therefore, 
which ought to cheer and sustain our 
hearts in the sorrows and bereave- 
ments of this life, it is the anticipation 
of the glorious scenes connected with 
the Second Advent of our Lord, and 
the prospect of standing before him 
clothed in the robes of salvation, sur- 
rounded by all those whom we have 
loved who have died in the faith, and 
with the innumerable company of the 
redeemed of all ages and lands. 

CHAPTER V. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter consists of two parts. 
L The continuation of the subject of 
the coming of the Lord. Ver. 1-11 ; 
and, II. Various practical exhortations. 

In the first part, the apostle, states 
(1. ) that it was w r ell understood by the 
Thessalonians that the coming of the 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



CHAPTER V. 

BUT of the times and the sea- 
sons, brethren, ye have no 
need that I write unto you. 



Lord would be sudden, and at an un- 
expected moment, vs. 1, 2; (2.) he re- 
fers to the effect of his coming on the 
wicked and the righteous — that it 
would be attended with the sudden and 
inevitable destruction of the former, 
ver. 3, but that the result of his coming 
would be far different on the right- 
eous. Ver. 4-11. The prospect of his 
coming was fitted to make them watch- 
ful and sober, ver. 6-8 ; and his advent 
would be attended with their certain 
salvation. Ver. 9-11. 

In the second part of the chapter he 
exhorts them to show proper respect 
for their spiritual teachers and rulers, 
vs. 12,13; to endeavor to restrain the 
unruly, to support the feeble, and to 
evince toward all the spirit of pa- 
tience and forbearance, ver. 14; to man- 
ifest a meek and benevolent manner 
of life, ver. 15 ; to rejoice always, ver. 
16 ; to pray constantly, ver. 17 ; to ren- 
der thanks to God in every situation, 
ver. 18 ; to cherish the influences of 
the Holy Ghost on their souls, ver. 19 ; 
to show respect for all the divine 
prophetic communications, ver. 20 ; to 
consider and examine carefully every 
thing submitted to them for belief; 
to adhere steadfastly to all that was 
good and true, ver. 21; and to avoid 
the very appearance of evil, ver. 22. 
The epistle closes with a fervent pray- 
er that God would sanctify them en- 
tirely; with an earnest entreaty that 
they would pray for him ; with a com- 
mand that the epistle should be read 
to all the churches, and with the ben- 
ediction. Ver. 22-28. 

1. But of the times and the seasons. See 
Notes on Acts i.7. The reference here 
is to the coming of the Lord Jesus, 
and to the various events connected 
with his advent. See the close of eh. 
iv. Ye have no need that I write unto 
you. That is, they had received all the 
information on the particular point 
to which he refers which it was nec- 
essary they should have. He seems 
to refer particularly to the suddenness 
of his coming. It is evident from this, 
as well as from other parts of this 
epistle, that this had been, from some 
cause, a prominent topic which he had 



2 For yourselves know perfectly 
that the day of the Lord so Com- 
eth "as a thief in the night. 

3 For when they shall say, Peace 

a Luke 12. 39,40. 2 Pet. 3. 10. Rev. 16. 15. 

dwelt on when he was with them. See 
Notes on ch. i. 10. 

2. For yourselves know perfectly. Ac- 
curately. It is only once used by Paul 
elsewhere. Eph. v. 15. " See that ye 
walk circumspectly. "—Ellicott. That is, 
they had been fully taught this. There 
could be no doubt in their minds re- 
specting it. TI The day of the Lord so 
cometh. Of the Lord Jesus — for so the 
word "Lord" in the New Testament 
commonly means. See Notes on Acts 
i. 24. The "day of the Lord" means 
that day in which he will be manifest- 
ed, or in which he will be the promi- 
nent object in view of the assembled 
universe. % As a thief in the night. 
Suddenly and unexpectedly, as a rob- 
ber breaks into a dwelling. A thief 
comes without giving any warning, or 
any indications of his approach. He 
not only gives none, but he is careful 
that none shall be given. It is a point 
with him that, if possible, the man 
whose house he is about to rob shall 
have no means of ascertaining his ap- 
proach until he comes suddenly upon 
him. Compare Notes on Matt. xxiv. 
37-43 ; Luke xii. 39, 40. In this way 
the Lord Jesus will return to judg- 
ment ; and this proves that all attempts 
to determine the day, the year, or the 
century when he will come, must be 
fallacious. He intends that his com- 
ing to this world shall be sudden and 
unexpected, " like that of a thief in the 
night;" that there shall be no such 
indications of his approach that it will 
not be sudden and unexpected ; and 
that no warning of it shall be given so 
that men may know the time of his 
appearing. If this be not the point 
of the comparison in expressions like 
this, what is it ? Is there any thing 
else in which his coming will resem- 
ble that of a thief? And if this be the 
true point of comparison, how can it 
be true that men can ascertain when 
that is to occur ? Assuredly, if they 
can, his coming will not be like that of 
a tliief. Comp. Notes on Acts i.7. 

3. For when they shall say, Peace and 
safety. That is, when the wicked shall 
say this, for the apostle here refers only 
to those on whom "sudden destruc- 
tion" will come. Compare Notes on 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



53 



and safety; then sudden destruc- 
tion corneth upon them, as travail 
a upon a woman with child ; and 
they shall not escape. 

a Jer. 13. 21. 

Matt. xxiv. 36-42; 2 Pet. iii. 3, 4. It is 
clear from this, (1. ) that when the Lord 
Jesus shall come, the world will not 
all be converted. There will be some 
to be "destroyed." How large this 
proportion will be it is impossible now 
to ascertain. This supposition, how- 
ever, is not inconsistent with the be- 
lief that there will be a general preva- 
lence of the Gospel before that period. 
(2.) The impenitent and wicked world 
will be sunk in carnal security when 
he comes. They will regard them- 
selves as safe. They will see no dan- 
ger. They will give no heed to warn- 
ing. They will be unprepared for his 
advent. So it has always been. It 
seems to be a universal truth in regard 
to all the visitations of God to wick- 
ed men for punishment, that he comes 
upon them at a time when they are 
not expecting him, and that they have 
no faith in the predictions of his ad- 
vent. So it was in the time of the 
flood ; so it was in the destruction of 
Sodom, Gomorrah, Jerusalem, and Bab- 
ylon; so it is when the sinner dies; 
and so it will be when the Lord Jesus 
shall return to judge the world. One 
of the most remarkable facts about 
the history of man is that he takes no 
warning from his Maker ; that he nev- 
er changes his plans, or feels any emo- 
tipn, because his Creator "thunders 
damnation along his path," and threat- 
ens to destroy him in hell, *ft Sudden 
destruction. Destruction that was un- 
foreseen (altyvioiGs) or unexpected. 
The word here rendered sudden occurs 
nowhere else in the New Testament, 
except in Luke xxi. 34, " Lest that day 
come upon you unawares." The word 
rendered destruction — oXe.3y>os — occurs 
in the New Testament only here and 
in 1 Cor. v. 5 ; 2 Thess. i. 9 ; 1 Tim. vi. 
9; in all of which places it is correct- 
ly translated destruction. The word 
destruction is familiar to us. It means, 
properly, demolition ; pulling down ; 
the annihilation of the form of any 
thing, or that form of parts which 
constitutes it what it is ; as the de- 
struction of grass by eating ; of a for- 
est by cutting down the trees ; of life 
by murder ; of the soul by consigning 
it to misery. It does not necessarily 



4 But ye/ brethren, are not in 
darkness, that that day should 
overtake you as a thief. 

5 Ye are all the children of light, 

b Eph. 5. 8. 1 John 2. 8. ^ 

mean annihilation — for a house or 
city is not annihilated which is pulled 
down or burnt; a forest is not anni- 
hilated which is cut down ; and a man 
is not annihilated whose character and 
happiness are destroyed. In regard 
to the destruction here referred to, 
we may remark, (1.) that it will be 
after the return of the Lord Jesus to 
judgment, and hence it is not true 
that the wicked experience all the pun- 
ishment which they ever will in the 
present life; (2.) that it seems fairly 
implied that the destruction which 
they will then suffer will not be anni- 
hilation, but will be connected with 
conscious existence ; and (3) that they 
will then be cut off from life, and hope, 
and salvation. How can the solemn 
affirmation that they will be "destroy- 
ed suddenly" be consistent with the 
belief that all men will be saved ? Is 
it the same thing to be destroyed and 
to be saved ? Does the Lord Jesus, 
when he speaks of the salvation of his 
people, say that he comes to destroy 
them ? T| As travail upon a woman with 
child. This expression is sometimes 
used to denote great consternation, as 
in Psa. xlviii. 6 ; Jer. vi. 24 ; Micah iv. 
9, 10; great pain, as Isa. liii. 11 ; Jer. 
iv. 31 ; John xvi. 21 ; or the sudden- 
ness with which any thing occurs, Jer. 
xiii. 21. It seems here to be used to 
denote two things ; first, that the com- 
ing of the Lord to a wicked world will 
be sudden ; and, secondly, that it will 
be an event of the most distressing 
and overwhelming nature. T[ And they 
shall not escape. That is, they will not 
escape the destruction, or punishment. 
They calculated on impunity, but now 
the time will have come when none 
of these refuges will avail them, and 
no rocks will cover them from the 
" wrath to come." 

4. But ye, brethren, are not in dark- 
ness, that that day should overtake you as 
a thief. The allusion here is to the 
manner in which a thief or robber ac- 
complishes his purpose. He comes in 
the night, when men are asleep. So, 
says the apostle, the Lord will come 
to the wicked. They are like those 
who are asleep when the thief comes 
upon them. But it is not so with 



I. THESSALOJNIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



and the children of the day : we 
are not of the night, nor of dark- 
ness. 

a Matt. 25. 5. Rom. 13. 12, 13. 

Christians. They are, in relation to 
the coming of the day of the Lord, as 
men are who are awake when the rob- 
ber comes. They could see his ap- 
proach, and could prepare for it, so 
that it would not take them by sur- 
prise. 

5. Ye are all the children of light. All 
who are Christians. The phrase u chil- 
dren of light" is a Hebraism, meaning 
that they were the enlightened chil- 
dren of God. ^And the children of the 
day. Who live as if light always shone 
round about them. The meaning is, 
that in reference to the coming of the 
Lord they are as men would be in ref- 
erence to the coming of a thief, if there 
were no night and no necessity of slum- 
ber. They would always be wakeful 
and active, and it would be impossi- 
ble to come upon them by surprise. 
Christians are always to be wakeful 
and vigilant; they are so to expect 
the coining of the Redeemer that he 
will not find them off their guard, and 
will not come upon them by surprise. 

6. Therefore let us riot sleep, as do oth- 
ers. As the wicked world does. Comp. 
Notes on Matt. xxv. 5. ^ But let us 
watch. That is, for the coming of the 
Lord. Let us regard it as an event 
which is certainly to occur, and which 
may occur at any moment. See Notes 
on Matt. xxv. 13. *H And be sober. The 
word here used (vii<j>a)) is rendered so- 
ber in 1 Thess. v. 6, 8 ; 1 Pet. i. 13 ; v. 
8; and watch in 2 Tim. iv. 5, and 1 Pet. 
iv. 7. It does not elsewhere occur in 
the New Testament. It properly 
means to be temperate or abstinent, 
especially in respect to wine. Joseph. , 
Jewish Wars, 5. 5. 7. Xenophon, Cyr., 
7. 5. 20. Then it is used in a more gen- 
eral sense, as meaning to be sober- 
minded, w a t c h f u 1 , circumspect. In 
this passage there is an allusion to the 
fact that persons not only sleep in the 
night, but that they are frequently 
drunken in the night also. The idea 
is, that the Lord Jesus, when he comes, 
will find the wicked sunk not only in 
carnal security, but in sinful indulgen- 
ces, and that those who are Christians 
ought not only to be awake and to 
watch as in the day-time, but to be 
temperate. They ought to be like per- 
sons engaged in the sober, honest, and 



6 Therefore a let us not sleep, as 
do others; but let us watch and 
be sober. 6 

b 1 Pet. 5. 8. 

appropriate employments of the. day, 
and not like those who waste their 
days in sleep and their nights in rev- 
elry. A man who expects soon to see 
the Sen of God coming to judgment, 
ought to be a sober man. No one 
would wish to be summoned from a 
scene of dissipation to his bar. And 
who would wish to be called there 
from the ball-room ; from the thea- 
tre ; from the scene of brilliant world- 
ly amusement ? The most gay votary 
of the world ; the most accomplished, 
and flattered, and joyous patron of the 
ball-room; the most richly -dressed 
and admired daughter of vanity, would 
tremble at the thought of being sum- 
moned from those brilliant halls where 
pleasure is now found to the judg- 
ment-bar. They w-ould wish to have 
at least a little time that they might 
prepare for so solemn a scene. But if 
so, as this event may at any moment 
occur, why should they not be habit- 
ually sober-minded? Why should 
the} 7 not aim to be always in that state 
of mind which they know would be 
appropriate to meet him ? Especially 
should Christians live with such vigi- 
lance and soberness as to be always pre- 
pared to meet the Son of God. What 
Christian can think it appropriate for 
him to go up to meet his Saviour from 
the theatre, the ball-room, or the bril- 
liant worldly party? A Christian 
ought always so to live that the com- 
ing of the Son of God in the clouds 
of heaven would not excite the least 
alarm. 

7. For they that sleep, sleep in the night. 
Night is the time for sleep. The day 
is the time for action, and in the light 
of day men should be employed. Night 
and sleep are made for each other, and 
so are the day and active employment. 
The meaning here is, that it is in ac- 
cordance with the character of those 
who are of the night, that is, sinners, 
to be sunk in stupidity and carnal se- 
curity, as if they were asleep ; but for 
the children of the day, that is, for 
Christians, it is no more appropriate 
to be inactive than it is for men to 
sleep in the day-time. "It is not to 
be wondered at that wicked men are 
negligent and are given to vice, for 
they are ignorant of the will of God. 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



55 



7 For tliey that sleep, sleep in 
the night ; and they that be drunk- 
en, are drunken in the night. 

8 But let us, who are of the day, 
be sober, putting on the breast- 

a Isa. 59. 17. 

Negligence in doing right, and cor- 
rupt morals, usually accompany igno- 
rance. ' ' — Rosenmiiller. And they that 
be drunken, are drunken in the night. 
The night is devoted by them to rev- 
elry and dissipation. It is in accord- 
ance with the usual custom in all 
lands and times, that the night is the 
usual season for riot and revelry. The 
leisure, the darkness, the security from 
observation, and the freedom from the 
usual toils and cares of life, have caused 
those hours usually to be selected for 
indulgence in intemperate eating and 
drinking. This was probably more 
particularly the case among the an- 
cients than with us, and, much as 
drunkenness abounded, it was much 
more rare to see a man intoxicated in 
the day-time than it is now. To be 
drunk then in the day-time was re- 
garded as the greatest disgrace. See 
Polyb. , Exc. Leg. , 8, and Apul. , viii. , as 
quoted by Wetstein. Comp. Notes on 
Acts ii. 15; Isa. v. 11. The object of 
the apostle here is, to exhort Chris- 
tians to be sober and temperate, and 
the meaning is, that it is as disgrace- 
ful for them to indulge in habits of 
revelry as for a man to be drunk in 
the day-time. The propriety of this 
exhortation, addressed to Christians, 
is based on the fact that intoxication 
was hardly regarded as a crime, and, 
surrounded as they were with those 
who freely indulged in drinking to ex- 
cess, they were then, as they are now, 
exposed to the danger of disgracing 
their religion. The actions of Chris- 
tians ought always to be such that 
they may be performed in open day 
and in the view of all the world. Oth- 
er men seek the cover of the night to 
perform their deeds; the Christian 
should do nothing which may not be 
done under the full blaze of day. 

8. But let us, who are of the day, be so- 
ber. Temperate, as men usually are 
in the day-time. "[[ Patting on the breast- 
plate of faith and love. This is a favor- 
ite comparison of the apostle Paul. 
See it explained at length in the Notes 
on Eph. vi. 14. If And for an helmet, the 
hope of salvation. See Notes on Eph. 
vi.17. 



plate a of faith and love ; and for 
an helmet, the hope of salvation. 

9 For God hath not appointed 6 
us to wrath, but to obtain salva- 
tion by our Lord Jesus Christ. 

b Rom. 9. 22. 1 Pet. 2. 8. 

9. For God hath not appointed us to 
wrath. This is designed as an encour- 
agement to effort to secure salvation. 
The wish of God is to save us, and 
therefore we should watch and be so- 
ber; for the same reason we should 
take to ourselves the whole of the 
Christian armor, and strive for vic- 
tory; If he had appointed us to wrath, 
effort would have been vain, for we 
could do nothing but yield to our in- 
evitable destiny. The hope of a final 
triumph should animate us in our ef- 
forts, and cheer us in our struggles 
with our foes. How much does the 
hope of victory animate the soldier in 
battle ! When morally certain of suc- 
cess, how his arm is nerved ! When 
every thing conspires to favor him, 
and when he feels that God fights for 
him, and intends to give him the vic- 
tory, how his heart exults, and how 
strong is he in battle ! Hence, it was 
a great point among the ancients, 
when about entering into battle, to 
secure evidence that the gods favored 
them, and meant to give them the vic- 
tory. For this purpose they offered 
sacrifices, and consulted the flight of 
birds and the entrails of animals ; and 
for this purpose armies were accom- 
panied by soothsayers and priests, to 
interpret any signs which might oc- 
cur that would be favorable, or to pro- 
pitiate the favor of the gods by sacri- 
fice. See Homer, passim ; Arrian's 
Expedition of Alexander, and the clas- 
sic writers generally. The apostle al- 
ludes to something of this kind here. 
He would excite us to maintain the 
Christian warfare manfully, by the as- 
surance that God intends that we shall 
be triumphant. This we are to learn 
by no conjectures of soothsayers ; by 
no observation of the flight of birds ; 
by no sacrifice which we can make to 
propitiate his favor, but by the unerr- 
ing assurance of his holy word. If 
we are Christians, we know that he 
intends our salvation, and that victo- 
ry will be ours ; if we are willing to 
become Christians, we know that the 
Almighty arm will be stretched out to 
aid us, and that the "gates of hell'* 
can not prevent it. 



56 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



10 Who died for us, that, whether 
a we wake or sleep, we should live 
together with him. 

11 Wherefore 1 comfort yourselves 

a Rom. 14.8,9. 2 Cor. 5. 15. 

10. Who died for us. That is, to re- 
deem us. He designed by his death 
that we should ultimately live with 
him; and this effect of his death could, 
be secured only as it was an atoning 
sacrifice, f Whether we wake or sleep. 
Whether we are found among the liv- 
ing or the dead when he comes. The 
object here is to show that the one 
class would have no advantage over 
the other. This was designed to calm 
their minds in their trials, and to cor- 
rect an error which seems to have pre- 
vailed in the belief that those who 
were found alive when he should re- 
turn would have some priority over 
those who were dead. See Notes on 
ch. iv. 13-18. H Should live together with 
Mm. See Notes on John xiv. 3. The 
word rendered "together" (a/xa), is 
not to be regarded as connected with 
the phrase "with him" — as meaning 
that he and they would be "togeth- 
er," but it refers to those who " wake 
and those who sleep" — those who are 
alive and those who are dead— mean- 
ing that they would be together, or 
would be with the Lord at the same 
time; there would be no priority or 
precedence. — Rosenmiillerr 

11. Wherefore comfort yourselves. See 
Notes on ch. iv. 18. if And edify one 
another. Strive to build up each oth- 
er, or to establish each other in the 
faith by these truths. See Notes on 
Rom. xiv. 19. Comp. 1 Cor. iii. 9. 16 ; 
2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. ii. 20. «ff Even as 
also ye do. Continue to do it. Let 
nothing occur to disturb the harmony 
and consolation which you have been 
accustomed to derive from these high 
and holy doctrines. 

12. And we beseech you, brethren, to 
know them which labor among you. 
Who they were is not mentioned. It 
is evident, however, that the Church 
was not left without appointed per- 
sons to minister to it when its found- 
ers should be away. We know that 
there were presbyters ordained over 
the Church at Ephesus, and over the 
Churches in Crete (Acts xx. 17 ; Titus 
i. 5), and that there were bishops and 
deacons at Philippi (Phil. i. 1), and 
there is every reason to believe that 
similar officers would be appointed in 



together, and edify one another, 
even as also ye do. 

12 And we beseech you, breth- 
ren, to know them h which labour 

1 or, exhort. b Heb. 13. 7, 17. 

every newly-organized Church. ' The 
word "know" seems to mean that they 
were not to make themselves stran- 
gers to them, to be dold and distant 
toward them, to be ignorant of their 
wants, or to be indifferent to them. 
While a people are not obtrusively to 
intermeddle with the business of a 
minister, any more than they are with 
that of any other man, yet there are 
things in regard to him with which 
they should be acquainted. They 
should seek to be personally acquaint- 
ed with him, and make him their con- 
fidant and counselor in their spiritual 
troubles. They should seek his friend- 
ship, and endeavor to maintain all 
proper intercourse with him. They 
should not regard him as a distant 
man, or as a stranger among them. 
They should so far understand his cir- 
cumstances as to know what is requi- 
site to make him comfortable, and 
should be on such terms that they 
may readily and cheerfully furnish 
what he needs. And they are to 
"know" or regard him as their spir- 
itual teacher and ruler; not to be 
strangers to the place where he 
preaches the word of life, and not to 
listen to his admonitions and reproofs 
as those of a stranger, but as those of 
a pastor and friend. If Which labor 
among you. There is no reason to sup- 
pose, as many have done, that the 
apostle here refers to different classes 
of ministers. He rather refers to dif- 
ferent parts of the work which the 
same ministers perform. The first is, 
that they "labor" — that is, evidently, 
in preaching the Gospel. For the use 
of the word, see John iv. 38, where it 
occurs twice, and 1 Cor. xv. 10 ; xvi. 
16. The word is one which properly 
expresses wearisome toil, and implies 
that the office of preaching is one that 
demands constant industry. ^ And 
are over you in the Lord. That is, by 
the appointment of the Lord, or un- 
der his direction. They are not abso- 
lute sovereigns, but are themselves 
subject to one who is over them — the 
Lord Jesus. On the word here ren- 
dered "are over you" (Trpo'io-Ta/uLwows), 
see Notes on Rom. xii. 8, where it is 
translated ruleth. ^And admonish you. 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER Y. 



57 



among you, and are over you in 
the Lord, and admonish you ; 

13 And to esteem them very high- 
ly in love for their work's sake. 

a Mark 9. 50. 1 or, beseech. 

The word here used (vovShtsoo) is ren- 
dered admonish, and admonished, in 
Rom. xv. 14; Col. iii. 16; 1 Thess. v. 
12; 2 Thess. hi. 15; and warn, and 
warning, 1 Cor. iv. 14; Col. i. 28 ; 1 
Thess. v. 14. It does not elsewhere 
occur in the New Testament. It 
means, to put in mind ; then to warn, 
entreat, exhort. It is a part of the 
duty of a minister to put his people 
in mind of the truth ; to warn them 
of danger ; to exhort them to duty ; 
to admonish them if they go astra}^. 

13. And to esteem them very highly in 
love. To cherish for them an affec- 
tionate regard. The office of a minis- 
ter of religion demands respect. They 
who are faithful in that office have a 
claim on the kind reg&rds of their fel- 
low-men. The very nature of the of-, 
fice requires them to do good to oth- 
ers, and there is no benefactor who 
should be treated with more affection- 
ate regard than he who endeavors to 
save us from ruin ; to impart to us 
the consolations of the Gospel in af- 
fliction ; and to bring us and our fam- 
ilies to heaven. % For their work's sake. 
Not primarily as a personal matter, or 
on their own account, but on account 
of the work in which they are engaged. 
It is a work whose only tendency, 
when rightly performed, is to do good. 
It injures no man, but contributes to 
the happiness of all. It promotes in- 
telligence, industiy, order, neatness, 
economy, temperance, chastity, char- 
ity, and kindness in this world, and 
leads to eternal blessedness in the 
world to come. A man who sincere- 
ly devotes himself to such a work has 
a claim on the kind regards of his fel- 
low-men. If And be at peace among 
yourselves. See Notes on Mark ix. 50; 
Rom. xii. 18; xiv. 19. 

14. Now we exhort you, "brethren, Marg. , 
beseech. This earnest entreaty is evi- 
dently addressed to the whole Church, 
and not to the ministers of the Gospel 
only. The duties here enjoined are 
such as appertain to all Christians in 
their appropriate spheres, and should 
not be left to be performed by minis- 
ters only. Warn them. The same 
word which in ver. 12 is rendered ad- 
monish. It is the duty of every Church 



And be a at peace among your- 
selves. 

14 JNow we. 1 exhort you, breth- 
ren, warn them that are 2 unruly, 6 

2 or, disorderly. 6 Heb. 12. 12. 

member, as well as of the ministers of 
the Gospel, affectionately to admonish 
those whom they know to be living 
contrary to the requirements of the 
Gospel. One reason why there is so 
little piety in the Church, and why so 
many professors of religion go astray, 
is that the great mass of Church mem- 
bers feel no responsibility on this sub- 
ject. They suppose that it is the duty 
only of the officers of the Church to 
admonish an erring brother, and hence 
many become careless, and cold, and 
worldly, and no one utters a kind 
word to them to recall them to a holy 
walk with God. H That are unruly. 
Marg. , disorderly. The word here used 
(aTaKTos), is one which properly means 
not keeping the ranks, as of soldiers; 
and then irregular, confused, neglect- 
ful of duty, disorderly. The reference 
here is to the members of the Church 
who were irregular in their Christian 
walk. It is not difficult, in an army, 
when soldiers get out of the line, or 
leave their places in the ranks, or are 
thrown into confusion, to see that lit- 
tle can be accomplished in such a state 
of irregularity and confusion. As lit- 
tle difficult is it, when the members 
of a Church are out of their places, to 
see that little can be accomplished in 
such a state. Many a Church is like 
an army where half the soldiers are out 
of the line ; where there is entire in- 
subordination in the ranks, and where 
not half of them could be depended on 
for efficient service in a battle. In- 
deed, an army would accomplish little 
if as large a proportion of it were ir- 
regular, idle, remiss, or pursuing their 
own aims to the neglect of the public 
interest, as there are members of the 
Church who can never be depended 
on in accomplishing the great purpose 
for which it was organized. H Com- 
fort the feeble-minded. The dispirited ; 
the disheartened ; the downcast. To 
do this is also the duty of each Church 
member. There are almost always 
those who are in this condition, and 
it is not easy to appreciate the value 
of a kind word to one in that state. 
Christians are assailed by temptation ; 
in their efforts to do good they are 
I opposed, and become disheartened ; 



58 

comfort the feeble-minded, support 
the weak," be patient b toward all 
men. 

15 See that none render c evil for 
evil unto any man; but ever fol- 

aRom. 15. 1. b Eph. 4. 2. 

c Prov. 20. 22, 24, 29. Matt. 5. 39, 44. 1 Pet. 3. 9. 

in their contests with their spiritual 
foes they are almost overcome; in 
their troubles they walk through 
shades of night, and find no comfort. 
In such circumstances, how consoling 
is the voice of a friend ! How com- 
forting is it to feel that they are not 
alone! How supporting to he ad- 
dressed by one who has had the same 
conflicts, and has triumphed ! Every 
Christian — especially every one who 
has been long in the service of his 
Master — has a fund of experience 
which is the property of the Church, 
and which may be of incalculable 
value to those who are struggling 
now amid many embarrassments along 
the Christian way. He*who has that 
experience should help a weak and 
sinking brother; he should make his 
own experience of the efficacy of re- 
ligion in his trials and conflicts, the 
means of sustaining others in their 
struggles. There is no one who would 
not reach out his hand to save a child 
borne down a rapid stream ; yet how 
often do experienced and strong men 
in the Christian faith pass by those 
who are struggling in the u deep wa- 
ters, where the proud waves have come 
over their souls," with no attempt to 
rescue them — without even a word of 
sympathy and kindness ! IF Support 
the weak. See Notes on Kom. xv. 1. 
IF Be patient toward all men. See the 
Greek word here used explained in 
the Notes on 1 Cor. xiii. 4. Compare 
Eph. iv. 2; Gal. v. 22; Col. iii. 12. 

15. See that none render evil for evil. 
See Notes on Matt. v. 39-44. The 
meaning here is, that we are not to 
take vengeance. Comp. Notes on Rom. 
xii. 17-19. This law is positive, and is 
universally binding. The moment we 
feel ourselves acting from a desire to 
"return evil for evil," that moment 
we are acting wrong. It may be right 
to defend our lives and the lives of our 
friends; to seek the protection of the 
law for our persons, reputation, or 
property ; to repel the assaults of ca- 
lumniators and slanderers ; but in no 
case should the motive be to do them 
wrong for the evil which they have 



[A.D. 52. 

low d that which Is good, both 
among yourselves, and to all men. 

16 Eejoice e evermore. 

17 Pray/ without ceasing. 

18 In 9 every thing give thanks : 

d Gal. 6. 10. e Phil. 4. 4. 

/Rom. 12. 12. 5- Eph. 5. 20. 

done us. IF But ever folloiv that which 
is good. Which is benevolent, kind, 
just, generous. See Notes on Rom. 
xii. 20, 21. % Both among yourselves, 
and to all men. The phrase "to all 
men," seems to have been added to 
avoid the possibility of misconstruc- 
tion. Some might possibly suppose 
that this was a good rule to be ob- 
served toward those of their own num- 
ber, but that a greater latitude in 
avenging injuries might be allowable 
toward their enemies out of the 
Church. The apostle, therefore, says 
that the rule is universal. It relates 
to the heathen, to infidels, to skeptics, 
and to persecutors, as well as to the 
members of the Church. To every 
man we are to do good as we are able 
— no matter what they do to us. This 
is the rule which God himself observes 
toward the evil and unthankful (see 
Notes on Matt. v. 45), and is one of 
the original and beautiful laws of our 
holy religion. See Ellicott, in loc. 

16. Bejoice evermore. See Notes on 
Phil. iii. 1 ; iv. 4. 

17. Pray without ceasing. See Notes 
on Rom. xii. 12. The direction here 
may be fairly construed as meaning 
(1.) that we are to be regular and con- . 
stant in the observance of the stated 
seasons of prayer. We are to observe 
the duty of prayer in the closet, in the 
family, and in the assembly convened 
to call on the name of the Lord. We 
are not to allow this duty to be inter- 
rupted or intermitted by any trifling 
cause. We are so to act that it may 
be said we pray regularly in the closet, 
in the family, and at the usual seasons 
when the Church to which we belong 
meets for prayer. (2.) We are to main- 
tain an uninterrupted and constant 
spirit of prayer. We are to be in such 
a frame of mind as to be ready to pray 
publicly if requested , and when alone, 
to improve any moment of leisure 
which we may have when we feel our- 
selves strongly inclined to pray. That 
Christian is in a bad state of mind 
who has suffered himself, by attention 
to worldly cares, or by light conversa- 
tion, or by gayety and vanity, or by 



L THESSALONIANS. 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



59 



for this is the will of Gocfin Christ 
Jesus concerning you. 

a Eph.4. 30. 

reading an improper book, or by eat- 
ing or drinking too much, or by late 
hours at night among the thoughtless 
and the vain, to be brought into such 
a condition that he can not engage in 
prayer with proper feelings. There 
has been evil done to the soul if it is 
no t prepared for communion with God 
at all times, and if it would not find 
pleasure in approaching his holy 
throne. 

18. In every thing give thanks. See 
Notes on Eph. v. 20; Phil. iv. 6. We 
can always find something to be thank- 
ful for, and there may be reasons why 
we ought to be thankful even for those 
dispensations which appear dark and 
frowning. Chrysostom, once the arch- 
bishop of Constantinople, and then 
driven into exile, persecuted, and de- 
spised, died far away from the splen- 
dors of the capital, and from the com- 
forts and honors which he had enjoyed, 
uttering his favorite motto — 86£a tw 
Sew ttuvtuv Ilvzkev — glory to God for ail 
things. Bibliotheca Sacra, i., 700. So 
ive may praise God for every thing that 
happens to us under his government. 
A man owes a debt of obligation to 
him for any thing which will recall 
him from his wanderings, and which 
will prepare himfor heaven. Are there 
any dealings of God toward men which 
do not contemplate such an end? Is 
a man ever made to drink the cup of 
afiliction when no drop of mercy is in- 
termingled with it ? Is he ever visited 
with calamity which does not in some 
way contemplate his own temporal or 
eternal good ? Could we see all, we 
should see that we are never placed in 
circumstances in which there is not 
much for which we should thank God. 
And when, in his dealings, a cloud 
seems to cover his face, let us remem- 
ber the good things without number 
which we have received, and especially 
remember that we are in the world of 
redeeming love and have the hope of 
heaven, and we shall find enough for 
which to be thankful. % For this is 
the ivill of God. That is, that you 
should be grateful. This is what God 
is pleased to require you to perform 
in the name of the Lord Jesus. In the 
gift of that Saviour he has laid the 
foundation for such a claim, and he 
requires that you should not be un- 



19 Quench a not the Spirit. 

20 Despise 6 not prophesyings. 

h 1 Cor. 14. 1,39. 

mindful of the obligation. See Notes 
on Heb. xiii. 15. 

19. Quench not the Spirit. This lan- 
guage is taken from the way of put- 
ting out a fire, and the sense is, we are 
not to extinguish the influences of the 
Holy Spirit in our hearts. Possibly 
there may be an allusion here to fire 
on an altar, which was to be kept con- 
stantly burning. This fire may have 
been regarded as emblematic of devo- 
tion, and as denoting that that devo- 
tion was never to become extinct. The 
Holy Spirit is the source of true de- 
votion, and hence the enkindlings of 
piety in the heart, by the Spirit, are 
never to be quenched. Fire may be 
put out by pouring on water ; or by 
covering it with any incombustible 
substance ; or by neglecting to sup- 
ply fuel. If it is to be made to burn, 
it must be nourished with proper care 
and attention. The Holy Spirit, in his 
influences on the soul, is here com- 
pared with fire that might be made to 
burn more intensely, or that might be 
extinguished. In a similar manner the 
apostle gives this direction to Timo- 
thy," I put thee in remembrance that 
thou stir up (ava^uTrvpiiv, kindle up, 
cause to bum) the gift of God." 2 Tim. 
i. 6. Any thing that will tend to damp 
the ardor of our piety, to chill our feel- 
ings, to render us cold and lifeless in 
the service of God, may be regarded 
as "quenching the Spirit." Neglect 
of cultivating the Christian graces, or 
of prayer, or of the Bible, or of the 
sanctuary, or of a careful watchfulness 
over the heart, will do it. ' Worldli- 
ness, vanity, levity, ambition, pride, 
the love of dress, or indulgence in an 
improper train of thought, will do it. 
It is a great rule in religion that all the 
piety which there is in the soul is the 
fair result of culture. A man has no 
more religion than he intends to have ; 
he has no graces of the Spirit which 
he does not seek; he has no deadness 
to the world which is not the object 
of his sincere desire, and which he does 
not aim to possess. Any one, if he 
will, may make elevated attainments 
in the divine life ; or he may, if he will, 
make his religion merely a religion of 
form, and know little of its power and 
its consolations. 

20. Despise not prophesyings. On the 



60 I. THESSALONIANS. [A.D. 52. 

21 Prove a all things ; hold b fast 22 Abstain 6 from all appearance 
that which is good. of eyil. 

alJohn4.1. I Phil. 4. 8. c Isa. 33. 15. 



subject of prophesyings in the early 
Christian Church, see Notes on 1 Cor. 
xiv. 1, seq. The reference here seems 
to be to preaching. They were not to 
undervalue this in comparison with 
other things. It is possible that in 
Thessalonica, as appears to have been 
the case subsequently in Corinth (com- 
pare 1 Cor. xiv. 19), there were those 
who regarded the power of working 
miracles, or of speaking in unknown 
tongues, as a much more eminent en- 
dowment than that of stating the 
truths of religion in language easily 
understood. It would not be unnat- 
ural that comparisons should be made 
between these two classes of endow- 
ments, much to the disadvantage of 
the latter; and hence there may have 
been a necessity for this solemn caution 
not to disregard or despisa^he ability 
to make known divine truth in intel- 
ligible language. A similar counsel 
may not be inapplicable to us now. 
The office of setting forth the truth 
of God is to be the permanent office 
in the Church ; that of speaking for- 
eign languages by miraculous endow- 
ment was to be temporary. But the 
office of addressing mankind on the 
great duties of religion, and of pub- 
lishing salvation, is to be God's great 
ordinance for converting the world. 
It should not be despised, and no man 
commends his own wisdom who con- 
temns it ; for (1.) it is God's appoint- 
ment—the means Which he has desig- 
nated for saving men. (2.) It has too 
much to entitle it to respect to make 
it proper "to despise or contemn it. 
There is nothing else that has so much 
power over mankind as the preaching 
of the Gospel ; there is no other insti- 
tution of heaven or earth, among men, 
that is destined to exert so wide and 
permanent an influence as the Chris- 
tian ministry. (3. ) It is an influence 
which is wholly good. No man is 
made the poorer, or the less respect- 
able, or more miserable in life or in 
death, by following the counsels of a 
minister of Christ when he makes 
known the Gospel. (4.) He who de- 
spises it contemns that which is de- 
signed to promote his own welfare, and 
which is indispensable for his own 
salvation. It remains yet to be shown 
that any man has promoted his own 



happiness, or the welfare of his fam- 
ily, by treating with contempt the in- 
structions of the Christian ministry. 

21. Prove all things. Subject every 
thing submitted to you to be believed 
to the proper test. The word here 
used (SoKL/uLd&TE) is one that is prop- 
erly applicable to metals, referring to 
the art of the assayer, by which the 
true nature and value of the metal is 
tested. See Notes on 1 Cor. iii. 13. This 
trial was usually made by fire. The 
meaning here is that they were care- 
fully to examine every thing proposed 
for their belief. They were not to re- 
ceive it on trust ; to take it on asser- 
tion ; to believe it because it was urged 
with vehemence, zeal, or plausibility. 
In the various opinions and doctrines 
which were submitted to them for 
adoption, they were to apply the ap- 
propriate tests from reason and the 
Word of God, and what they found to 
be true they were to embrace ; what 
was false they were to reject. Chris- 
tianity does not require men to disre- 
gard their reason, or to be credulous. 
It does not expect them to believe any 
thing because others say it is so. It 
does not make it a duty to receive as 
undoubted truth all that synods and 
councils have decreed; or all that is 
advanced by the ministers of religion. 
It is, more than any other form of re- 
ligion, the friend of free inquiry, and 
would lead men every where to under- 
stand the reason of the opinions which 
they entertain. Comp. Acts xvii. 11, 
12 ; 1 Pet. iii. 15. Holdfast that which 
is good. Which 3s in accordance with 
reason and the Word of God ; which 
is adapted to promote the salvation 
of the soul and the welfare of society. 
This is just as much a duty as it is to 
"prove all things." A man who has 
applied the proper tests, and has found 
out what is truth, is bound to embrace 
it, and to hold it fast. He is not at 
liberty to throw it away, as if it were 
valueless ; or to treat truth and false- 
hood alike. It is a duty which he 
owes to himself and to God to adhere 
to it firmly, and to suffer the loss of 
all things rather than to abandon it. 
There are few more important rules 
in the New Testament than the one 
in this passage. It shows what is the 
true nature of Christianity, and it is a 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



61 



23 And the very God of peace 
sanctify you wholly : and I pray 



rule whose practical value can not but 
be felt constantly in our lives. Other 
religions require their votaries to re- 
ceive every thing upon trust; Chris- 
tianity asks us to examine every thing. 
Error, superstition, bigotry, and fanat- 
icism attempt to repress free discus- 
sion, by saying that there are certain 
things which are too sacred in their 
nature, or which have been too long 
held, or which are sanctioned by too 
many great and holy names, to permit 
their being subjected to the scrutiny 
of common eyes, or to be handled by 
common hands. In opposition to all 
this, Christianity requires us to exam- 
ine every thing — no matter by whom 
held; by w T hat councils ordained; by 
what venerableness of antiquity sus- 
tained ; or by what sacredness it may 
be invested. We are to receive no 
opinion until we are convinced that it is 
true ; we are to be subjected to no 
pains or penalties for not believing 
what we do not perceive to be true ; 
we are to be prohibited from examin- 
ing no opinion which our teachers re- 
gard as true, and which they seek to 
make us believe. No popular current 
in favor of any doctrine ; no influence 
which name, and rank, and learning 
can give it, is to commend it to us as 
certainly worthy of our belief. By 
whomsoever heM, we are to examine 
it freely beforeJp'e embrace it ; but 
when we are convinced that it is true, 
it is to be held, no matter what cur- 
rent of popular opinion or prejudice 
may be against it ; no matter what rid- 
icule may be poured upon it ; no mat- 
ter though the belief of it may require 
us to die a martyr's death. 

22. Abstain f mm all appearance of evil. 
Not only from evil itself, but from that 
which seems to be wrong. There are 
many things which are' known to be 
wrong. They are positively forbid- 
den by the laws of heaven, and the 
world concurs in the sentiment that 
they are wicked. But there are also 
many things about which there may 
be some reasonable doubt. It is not 
quite easy to determine in the case 
what is right or wrong. The subject 
has not been fully examined, or the 
question of its morality may be so dif- 
ficult to settle, that the mind may be 
nearly or quite balanced in regard to 



God your whole spirit and soul 
and body be preserved blameless a 

a 1 Cor. 1.8, 9. 

it. There are many things which, in 
themselves, may not appear to us to 
be positively wrong, but which are so 
considered by large and respectable 
portions of the community ; and for 
us to do those things would be regard- 
edas inconsistent andimproper. There 
are many things, also, in respect to 
which there is great variety of senti- 
ment among mankind — where one ror- 
tion would regard them as proper, 
and another as improper. There are 
things, also, where, whatever may be 
our motive, we may be certain that our 
conduct will be regarded as improp- 
er. A great variety of subjects, such 
as those pertaining to dress, amuse- 
ments, the opera, the ball-room, games 
of chance and hazard, and various prac- 
tices in the transaction of business, 
come under this general class ; which, 
though on the supposition that they 
can not be proved to be in themselves 
positively wrong or forbidden, have 
much the "appearance" of evil, and 
will be so interpreted by others. The 
safe and proper rule is to lean always 
to the side of virtue. In these in- 
stances it may be certain that there 
will be no sin committed by abstain- 
ing ; there may be by indulgence. No 
command of God, or of propriety, will 
be violated if we decline complying 
with these customs ; but, on the oth- 
er hand, we may wound the cause of 
religion by yielding to what possibly 
is a mere' temptation. No one ever 
does injury or wrong by abstaining 
from the pleasures of the ball-room, 
from the theatre, or from a glass of 
wine ; who can indulge in them with- 
out, in the view of large and respect- 
able portions of the community, doing 
that which has the "appearance," at 
least, of " evil ?" 

23. And the very God of peace. The 
God who gives peace or happiness. 
Comp. Notes on Rom. i. 7. ^ Sancti- 
fy you. See Notes on John xvii. 17. 
^Wholly. 6\oteXeU. In every part; 
completely. It is alwa}'S proper to 
pray that God would make his people 
entirely holy. A prayer for perfect 
sanctification, however, should not be 
adduced as proof that it is in fact at- 
tained in the present life. *ft Your whote 
spirit and soul and body. There is an 
allusion here, doubtless, to the popu- 



63 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



lar opinion in regard to what consti- 
tutes man. We have a body ; we have 
animal life and instincts in common 
with the inferior creation; and we 
have also a rational and immortal soul. 
This distinction is one that appears to 
the mass of men to be true, and the 
apostle speaks of it in the language 
commonly employed by mankind. At 
the same time, no one can demonstrate 
that it is not founded in truth. The 
body we see, and there can be no dif- 
ference of opinion in regard to its ex- 
istence. The soul {n xj/vxv — psyche), 
thF vital principle, the animal life, or 
the seat of the senses, desires, affec- 
tions, appetites, we have in common 
with other animals. It appertains to 
the nature of the animal creation, 
though more perfect in some animals 
than in others, but is in all distinct 
from the soul, or " spirit," as the seat 
of conscience, and as capable of moral 
agency. See the use of the word in 
Matt. xxii. 37 ; Mark xii. 30 ; Luke x. 
27; xii. 20; Acts xx.10; Heb. iv.12; 
Rev. viii. 9, et at. In the Pythagorean 
and Platonic philosophy this was dis- 
tinguished from the higher rational na- 
ture (o vovs, to irvtvfia) as this last 
belonged to man alone. This psyche 
(\i/i;X7/), u soul," or life, it is commonly 
supposed, becomes extinct at death. 
It is so connected with the bodily or- 
ganization that when the tissues of 
the animal frame cease their functions 
this ceases also. This was not, howev- 
er, the opinion of the ancient Greeks. 
Homer uses the term to denote that 
which leaves the body with the breath, 
as escaping from the sp/cos ddovi-cov — 
the fence or sept of the teeth — and as also 
passing out through a wound. This 
\i/vxi]—p)syche — continued to exist in 
Hades, and was supposed to have a 
definite form there, but could not be 
seized by the hands. Ody.,ii., 207. See 
Passow, 2. Comp. Prof. Bush, Anasta., 
p. 72, 73. Though this word, howev- 
er, denotes the vital principle or the 
animal life, in man it may be connect- 
ed with morals — just as the body may 
be — for it is a part of himself in his 
present organization, and, whatever 
may be true in regard to the inferior 
creation, it is his duty to bring his whole 
nature under law, or so to control it 
that it may not be an occasion of 
sin. Hence the apostle prays that the 
" whole body and soul" — or animal na- 
ture — may be made holy. This dis- 
tinction between the animal life and 



the mind of man (the anima and ani- 
mus, the xf/vxh and the ttvev^xo), was 
often made by the ancient philoso- 
phers. See Plato, Timse., p. 1048, A; 
Nemesius, de Nat. Horn., 1 Cit. Glyca, 
p. 70; Lucretius, iii., 94,116,131; Juve- 
nal, xv. , 146 ; Cicero, de Divinat. , 129, as 
quoted by Wetstein, in loc. A similar 
view prevailed also among the Jews. 
Rabbi Isaac (Zohar in Lev., fol. 29, 2) 
says, ' ' Worthy are the righteous in this 
world and the world to come, for lo, 
they are all holy ; their body is holy, 
their soul is holy, their spirit and their 
breath is holy." Whether the apostle 
meant to sanction this view, or mere- 
ly to speak in common and popular 
language, may indeed be questioned, 
but there seems to be a foundation for 
the language in the nature of man. The 
word here rendered spirit {irvivfjid), re- 
fers to the intellectual or higher na- 
ture of man ; that which is the seat 
of reason, of conscience, and of re- 
sponsibility. This is immortal. It 
has no necessary connection with the 
body, as animal life or the psyche 
(\J/vxv) has, and consequently will be 
unaffected by death. It is this which 
distinguishes man from the brute cre- 
ation ; this w r hich allies him with the 
higher intelligences around the throne 
of God. "H Be preserved blameless unto 
the coming of our Lord Jesus Ch?°ist. 
The apostle does not intimate here 
that either the body or the vital prin- 
ciple will be admitted to heaven, or 
will be found in a future state of be- 
ing, whatever may fp the truth on 
that subject. The prayer is, that they 
might be entirely holy, and be kept 
from transgression, until the Lord 
Jesus should come ; that is, until he 
should come either to remove them 
by death, or to wind up the affairs of 
this lower world. See Notes on ch. 
i. 10. By his praying that the "body 
and the soul" — meaning here the ani- 
mal nature, the seat of the affections 
and passions— might be kept holy, 
there is reference to the fact that, con- 
nected as they are with a rational and 
accountable soul, they may be the oc- 
casion of sin. The same natural pro- 
pensities ; the same excitability of 
passion ; the same affections which in 
a brute would involve no responsibil- 
ity, and have nothing moral in their 
character, may be a very different 
thing in man, who is placed under a 
moral law, and who is bound to re- 
strain and govern all his passions by 



A.D. 52.] 



CHAPTER V. 



03 



unto the corning of our Lord Je- 
sus Christ. 

24 Faithful is he a that calleth 
you, who also will do it. 

25 Brethren, pray for us. 

a 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2 Thess. 3. 3. 



a reference to that law, and to his 
higher nature. For a cur to snarl 
and growl; for a lion to roar and 
rage ; for a hyena to be fierce and un- 
tamable; for a serpent to hiss and 
bite, and for the ostrich to leave her 
eggs without concern (Job xxxix. 14), 
involves no blame, no guilt for them, 
for they are not accountable ; but for 
man to evince the same temper and 
the same want of affection, does in- 
volve guilt, for he has a higher na- 
ture, and all these things should be 
subject to the law which God has im- 
posed on him as a moral and account- 
able being. As these things may, 
therefore, in man be the occasion of 
sin, and ought to be subdued, there 
was a fitness in praying that they 
might be "preserved blameless" to 
the coming of the Saviour. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 27. 

24. Faithful is he that calleth you. 
That is, your sanctification after all 
depends on him, and as he has begun 
a work of grace in your hearts, you 
may depend on his faithfulness to 
complete it. See Notes on ch. iv. 3 ; 
Phil. i. 6 ; 1 Cor. i. 9. 

25. Brethren, pray for us. A request 
which the apostle often makes. See 
Notes on Heb. xiii. 18. He was a man 
of like passions as others ; he was ex- 
posed to the same temptations; he 
was engaged in an arduous work ; he 
was often called to meet with opposi- 
tion, and he peculiarly n e e d e d the 
prayers of the people of God. A min- 
ister, surrounded as he is by tempta- 
tions, is in great danger if he has not 
the prayers of his people. Without 
those prayers he will be likely to ac- 
complish little in the cause of his 
Master. His own devotions in the 
sanctuary will be formal and frigid, 
and the word which he preaches will 
be likely to come from a cold and 
heavy heart, and to fall also on cold 
and heavy hearts. There is no way in 
which a people can better advance the 
cause of piety in their own hearts than 
by praying much for their minister. 

26. Greet all the brethren with an holy 
kiss. See Notes on Rom. xvi. 16. j 



26 Greet all the brethren with an 
holy kiss. 

27 1 1 charge you by the Lord, 
that this epistle be read unto all 
the holy brethren. 

1 or, adjure. 



27. 1 charge you by the Lord. Marg. , 
adjure. Gr., "I put you under oath 
by the Lord" — opKi^oo u/xas tov Kvpiov. 
It is equivalent to binding persons by 
an oath. See Notes on Matt. xxvi. 63. 
Comp. Gen. xxi. 23, 24 ; xxiv. 3. 37 ; 1. 
25. If That this epistle be read unto all 
the holy brethren. To all the Church. 
Comp. Notes on Col. iv. 16. The 
meaning is, that the epistle was to be 
read to the whole Church on some 
occasion on which it was assembled 
together. It was not merely design- 
ed for the individual or individuals 
into whose hands it might happen to 
fall; but as it contained matters of 
common interest, and was designed 
for the whole body of believers at 
Thessalonica, the apostle gives a sol- 
emn charge that it should not be sup- 
pressed or kept from them. Injunc- 
tions of this kind, occurring in the 
epistles, look as if the apostles re- 
garded themselves as under the influ- 
ence of inspiration, and as having au- 
thority to give infallible instructions 
to the churches. 

28. The grace of our Lordfresus Christ, 
etc. See Notes on Rom. xvi. 20. 

In regard to the subscription at the 
close of the epistle, purporting that it 
was written from Athens, see the In- 
trod., § 3. These subscriptions are of 
no authority, and the one here, like 
several others, is probably wrong. 

From the solemn charge in ver. 27. 
of this chapter, that "this epistle 
should be read to all the holy breth- 
ren," that is, to the Church at large, 
we may infer that it is in accordance 
with the will of God that all Chris- 
tians should have free access to the 
Holy Scriptures. What was the par- 
ticular reason for this injunction in 
Thessalonica is not known, but it is 
possible that an opinion had begun to 
prevail even then that the Scriptures 
were designed to be kept in the hands 
of the ministers of religion, and that 
their common perusal was to be pro- 
hibited. At all events, whether this 
opinion prevailed then or not, it is not 
unreasonable to suppose that the 
Holy Spirit, by whom this epistle was 



64 



I. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 52. 



28 The grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ l)e with you. Amen. 



dictated, foresaw that the time would 
come when this doctrine would be de- 
fended by cardinals, and popes, and 
councils; and that it would be one 
of the means by which the monstrous 
fabric of the Papacy would be sustain- 
ed and perpetuated. It is worthy of 
remark, also, that the apostle Paul, in 
his epistles to the Thessalonians, has 
dwelt more fully on the fact that the 

freat apostasy would occur under the 
apacy, and on the characteristics of 
that grand usurpation over the rights 
of men, than he has any where else in 
his epistle. See Notes on 2 Thess. ii. 
3-12. It is no improbable supposi- 
tion that with reference to that, and 
to counteract one of its leading dog- 
mas, his mind was supernaturally di- 
rected to give this solemn injunction, 
that the contents of the epistle which 
he had written should be communi- 
cated without reserve to all the Chris- 
tian brethren in Thessalonica. In 
view of this injunction, therefore, at 
the close of this epistle, we may re- 
mark, (1.) that it is a subject of ex- 
press divine command that the people 
should have access to the Holy Scrip- 
tures. So important was this consid- 
ered, that it was deemed necessary to 
enjoin thosW who should receive the 
word of God, under the solemnities 
of an oath, and by all^he force of ap- 
ostolic authority, to communicate 
what they had received to others. 
(2.) This injunction had reference to 
all the members of the Church, for 
they were " alV to be made acquaint- 
ed with the Word of God. The com- 
mand is, indeed, that it be u read" to 
them, but by parity of reasoning it 
would follow that it was to be in their 
hands ; that it was to be accessible to 
them ; that it was in no manner to be 
withheld from them. Probably many 



The first epistle unto the Thes- 
salonians was written from 
Athens. 



of them could not read, but in some 
way the contents of revelation were to 
be made known to them — and not by 
preaching only, but by reading the 
words of inspiration. No part was 
to be kept back ; nor were they to be 
denied such access to it all that they 
could fully understand it ; nor was it 
to be insisted on that there should be 
an authorized expounder of it. It was 
presumed that all the members of the 
Church were qualified to understand 
what had been written to them, and 
to profit by it. It follows, therefore, 
(3), that there is great iniquity in all 
those decisions and laws which are 
designed to keep the Scriptures from 
the common people. This is true (a) 
in reference to the Papal communion, 
and to all the ordinances there which 
prohibit the free circulation of the 
sacred volume among the people ; (&) 
it is true of all those laws in slave- 
holding communities which prohibit 
slaves from being taught to read the 
Scriptures ; and (c) it is true of all the 
opinions and dogmas which prevail in 
any community where the right of 
"private judgment 1 ' is denied, and 
where free access to the volume of 
inspiration is forbidden. The richest 
blessing of heaven to mankind is the 
Bible ; and there is no book ever writ- 
ten so admirably adapted to the com- 
mon mind, and so fitted to elevate the 
sunken, the ignorant, and the de- 
graded. There is no more decided 
enemy of the progress of the human 
race in intelligence, purity, and free- 
dom, than he who prevents the free 
circulation of this holy volume; and 
there is no sincerer friend of the race 
than he who " causes it to be read by 
all," and who contributes to make it 
accessible to all the families and all 
the inhabitants of the world. 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALOMANS. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



» 



* 



INTRODUCTION. 



For a general view of Thessalonica, of the establishment of the 
Church there, of the character of the Church, and of the design for 
which the apostle addressed these letters to it, see the Introduction to 
the First Epistle. 

This epistle appears to have been written soon after the first, and 
from the same place — Corinth. See Introd. to the First Epistle, § 3. 
The proof of this, indeed, is not certain, for there are no marks of time 
or place in the epistle by which these points can be determined. The 
probability rests upon these grounds : (1.) That the same persons — 
Paul, Silas, and Timothy — are associated in both epistles, and are men- 
tioned as being together at the time when they were written (1 Thess. 
i. 1 ; 2 Thess. i. 1) ; but as there is reason to believe that they did not 
continue long together, it is to be presumed that one epistle was writ- 
ten soon after the other. (2.) Paul refers to an error which had grown 
up, apparently in consequence of a misunderstanding of his first epis- 
tle (ch. ii. 1,2); an error which he regarded as of great magnitude, 
and which was producing very unhappy results (ch. ii. 2 ; iii. 10, 11); 
and it was natural that he should hasten to correct that error as soon 
as possible. (3.) There is some probability, as Benson has remarked, 
that the epistle was written "before the troubles came upon him at Cor- 
inth under the administration of Gallio (Acts xviii. 12-16), and yet 
that he saw that the storm was approaching, and hints at it in ch. ii. 2 : 
"And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men." 
If so, this epistle was written but a few months at farthest after the 
first. We may regard the evidence, therefore, as sufficiently clear, that 
this epistle was written at Corinth some time during the latter part 
of A.D. 53, or the beginning of A.D. 54. 

There is little doubt as to the design for which it was written. 
Either by a false interpretation of his former epistle, or by an epistle 
forged in his name and sent to them, the opinion had become preva- 
lent in the Church at Thessalonica that the Saviour was about to ap- 
pear, and that the end of the world was at hand. See ch. ii. 2. Comp. 
Hug's Introd., § 94, and Stuart's Notes on the same, p. 741, seq. To 
correct this impression was the leading design of this epistle. Some 
had become alarmed, and were suffering from unnecessary apprehen- 
sion (ch. ii. 2) ; and some, under the natural belief that labor then was 
useless, and that property was of no value, had given up all atten- 
tion to their worldly concerns (ch. iii. 10, 11) ; and it was of the ut- 
most importance that the errror should be corrected. This was done 
in this second epistle, and in doing it, Paul, as was usual, intermingled 



lxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



several other topics of importance, adapted to the condition of those 
to whom he wrote. 

This epistle, though short, has great permanent value, and is indis-* 
pensable to a proper understanding of the great doctrine of the Sec- 
ond Advent of the Redeemer. It was written, indeed, to correct an 
error in a single church, and at a particular time, but history has 
shown that there is a tendency to that same error in all ages, and that 
there was need of some permanent inspired statement to check it. It 
was inferred from the First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians, that 
lie meant to teach that the day of judgment was not far off. Had 
not this second epistle been written to correct that false interpreta- 
tion, and to show what teas his belief, it would have been charged on 
him that he was mistaken, and then the inference would have been 
naturally made that all the prophecies respecting that event are false. 
The distance between this and absolute infidelity, it is easy to see, is 
very small. Paul, by his prompt explanation, arrested that danger, 
and showed that he intended to teach no such doctrine as had been 
drawn from his first letter to them. This epistle, therefore, is of im- 
portance to show (1.) that the apostle did not believe, or mean to teach, 
that the end of the world was near. There are many expressions, in- 
deed, which, like those in First Thessalonians, would seem to imply 
that the apostle held that belief, ~bat the explanation of an inspired apos- 
tle of his own sentiments at the time settled that matter. No one has 
now a right to charge that belief on him, or on others who then used 
the same language. No one can now pretend that they held the opin- 
ion that the end of the world was near. There is no stronger lan- 
guage on that subject in any of their writings than that which occurs 
in the first epistle to the Thessalonians, and Paul in the second epistle 
expressly says that he held no such opinion, and meant to teach no 
such thing. (2.) This epistle is a standing rebuke of the kind of in- 
terpretation which attempts to determine the time when the Saviour 
will come, and of all those theories which represent "the day of 
Christ as at hand." The declarations in the Scriptures are positive 
and abundant that the time of his appearing is not made known to 
mortals (see Notes on Acts i. 7), and it is not possible now to make out 
a stronger argument to prove that that time is near, than could have 
been made out from the first epistle to the Thessalonians ; and yet 
Paul deemed it necessary to write them a second letter, expressly to 
show them that the interpretation which they put on his language was 
unauthorized. The truth is, that it was not the design of God to 
make known to men the exact time when the Lord Jesus will return 
to judgment ; and all attempts, since the time of Paul, to settle that 
have failed, and all will doubtless continue to fail, as they always have 
done. 



SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timo- 
theus, unto a the Church of the 
Thessalonians in God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

2 Grace b unto you, and peace, 
from God our Father and the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

3 We are hound to thank God 
always for you, brethren, as it is 

a 1 Thess. 1.1, etc. 
b 1 Cor. 1.3. 



meet, because that your faith grow- 
eth exceedingly, and the charity 
of every one of you all toward 
each other aboundeth : 

4 So that we ourselves glory c in 
you in the churches of God, for 
your patience and faith in all your 
persecutions and tribulations that 
ye endure ; d 

5 Which is e a manifest token of 

c 2 Cor. 9. 2. 1 Thess. 2. 19, 20. d James 5, 11. 
el Phil. 1.28. * 



CHAPTER I. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter comprises the follow- 
ing points : 

(1.) The salutation. Vs. 1, 2. 

(2.) An expression of thanks for the 
progress which the Thessalonians had 
made in piety, and especially for the 
manner in which they had been -ena- 
bled to bear their trials. Vs. 3, 4. 

(3.) An assurance that the manner 
in which they had been enabled to 
bear their trials was an evidence that 
they were true Christians. Ver. 5. 
• (4.) A declaration that those who 
had persecuted them, and all others 
who were wicked, would be punished 
when the Lord J esus should come, and 
that when this occurred the righteous j 
would appear in glory and honor. I 
Ver. 6-10. 

(5.) The expression of an earnest de- | 
sire that they might be prepared for ! 
the solemn scenes of that day. Vs. | 
11,12. ! 

1, 2. Paid, and Silvanus, and Timo- 
theus. See Notes on 1 Thess. i. 1. 

3. We are bound to thank God always 
for yon. See Notes on 1 Thess. i. 2. 
1[ As it is meet. As it is fit or proper. 
^Because that your faith groweth exceed- 
ingly. It would seem probable from 
this that Paul had heard from them 
since his first epistle was written. He 
had doubtless received intelligence of 
the error which prevailed among them 
respecting his views of the coming of 



the Lord Jesus, and of the progress 
which the truth was making, at the 
same time. \ And ihe charity of every 
one of you all toward each other. Your 
mutual love. 

4. So that we ourselves glory in you in 
the churches of God. That is, we men- 
tion your example to other churches, 
and glory in it, as an evidence of what 
the Gospel is fitted to do. See Notes 
on 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. Comp. Notes on 
2 Cor. ix. 2. For your patience. Your 
patient endurance of trials. *[j And 
faith. Fidelity, or constancy. You 
have shown unwavering confidence in 
God in your afflictions. Tf In all your 
persecutions and tribulations that ye en- 
dure. See Notes on 1 Thess. ii. 14; iv. 
13. It would seem from this that the 
persecutions and trials to which the 
apostle referred in his first epistle 
were still continued. 

5. Which is a manifest token of the 
righteous judgment of God. The word 
"which" is supplied by our transla- 
tors, and there may be some doubt to 
what the apostle has reference as be- 
ing " a manifest token of the right- 
eous judgment of God. ' ' The general 
sense seems to be, that the fact that 
they were thus persecuted was an evi- 
dence that there would be a future 
judgment, when the righteous who 
were persecuted would be rewarded, 
and the wicked who persecuted them 
would be punished. The manner in 
which they bore their trials was an in- 
dication also of what the result would 
be in regard to them. Their patience 



70 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



the righteous judgment of God, 
that ye may be counted worthy of 



and faith under persecutions were con- 
stantly showing that they wonld " he 
counted worthy of the kingdom of 
God, for which they were called to 
suffer." It is evident that a relative 
must he supplied here, as our transla- 
tors have done, but there has heen a 
difference of view as to what it refers. 
Some suppose that it is to "patience," 
others to "persecutions and tribula- 
tions" and others to the whole sentence 
preceding. The latter is probably the 
true construction, and the sense is, 
that the endurance of affliction in a 
proper manner by the righteous is a 
proof that there will be a righteous 
judgment of God in the last day. (1.) 
It is evidence that there will be a fut- 
ure judgment — since the righteous 
here suffer so much, and the wicked 
triumph so much. (2.) These things 
are now permitted in order that the 
character may be developed, and that 
the reason of the sentence in the last 
day may be seen. (3.) The manner in 
which these afflictions are borne is an 
evidence — an indication (ei/Suy/na) of 
what the^results of the judgment will 
be. The word rendered " manifest to- 
ken" (EvdELytxa), occurs nowhere else 
in the New Testament. It means an 
indication, token, proof— any thing 
that shoivs or points out how a thing is, 
or is to be (from evSelkw/ull, to show, to 
point out). The meaning here is, there- 
fore, that the course of events referred 
to — the persecutions which they en- 
dured, and the manner in which they 
were bojne — pointed out the fact, or 
furnished a proof that there would be 
a righteous judgment, and also afford- 
ed an indication of what the result of 
that judgment would be. We may, in 
general, learn what will be the issues 
of the judgment in the case of an in- 
dividual from the manner in which he 
bears trials. % Of the righteous judg- 
ment of God. That there will be a just 
judgment hereafter. The crimes of 
the wicked who go unpunished on the 
earth, and the sufferings of the good 
Who are unavenged, are a demonstra- 
tion that there will be a judgment, 
when all these inequalities will he ad- 
justed. T[ That ye may be counted wor- 
thy. As the result of your affliction, 
that you may he fitted for the kingdom 
of God. This does not mean that) 



the kingdom of God, for which ye 
also sufti^" 

a 1 Thess. 2. 14. Heb. 10. 23, 32. 



Christians will merit heaven by their 
sufferings, but that they may show 
that they have such a character that 
there is & fitness or propriety that they 
should be admitted there.- They may 
evince such patience and resignation, 
such deadness to the world and such 
holy lives, as to show that they are 
not disqualified to enter into~ that 
kingdom where the redeemed are to 
dwell. No true Christian will ever 
feel that he is vjorthy of heaven on his 
own account, or that he has any claim 
to eternal life, yet he may have evi- 
dence that he has the characteristics 
to which God has promised salvation, 
and is fitted to dwell in heaven. Tf Of 
the kingdom of God. In heaven. See 
Notes on Matt. iii. 2. ^For which ye 
also suffer. The sufferings which you 
now endure are because you are pro- 
fessed heirs of the kingdom; that is, 
you are persecuted because you are 
Christians. See 1 Thess. ii. 14. 

6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with 
God to recompense tribulation to them 
that trouble you. The sense is, u There 
will be a future judgment, because it 
is right and proper that God should 
punish those who now persecute you. 
It is not right that they should go un- 
punished, and triumph forever. It is 
not an arbitrary thing — a thing which 
is indifferent — a thing which may or 
may not be done ; it is a just and prop- 
er thing that the wicked should be 
punished." The doctrine is, that the 
future punishment of the wicked is 
just and proper ; and that, being just 
and proper, it will be inflicted. Many 
suppose that there would be no jus- 
tice in the eternal punishment of the 
wicked ; that the threatening of that 
punishment is wholly arbitrary; that 
it might easily be dispensed with, and 
that because it is unjust it will not be 
inflicted, and need not be dreaded. 
But that it is just and proper, a very 
slight degree of reflection must show. 
For (1.) it is inconceivable that God 
should threaten such punishment un- 
less it were just. How can it be rec- 
onciled with his perfections that he 
can hold up before mankind the as- 
surance that any of them will be pun- 
ished forever, unless it be right that 
it should be so ? Can we believe that 
he deliberately threatens what is 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER I. 



71 



6 Seeing a it is a righteous thing 
with God to recompense tribula- 
tion to them that trouble you ; 

7 And to you who are troubled, 

a Rev. 6. 10. b Rev. 14. 13. 

c 1 Thess. 4. 16. Jude 14. 1 the angels of his power. 

wrong, or that, in the face of the uni- 
verse, he publicly declares his inten- 
tion to do what is wrong? (2.) Men 
themselves believe that it is just that 
the wicked should be punished. They 
are constantly making laws, and affix- 
ing penalties to them, and executing 
them, under the belief that it is right. 
Can they regard it as wrong in God to 
do the same thing? Can that be 
wrong in him which is right in them- 
selves? (3.) If it is right to punish 
wickedness here, it is not wrong to 
punish it in the future world. There 
is nothing in the two places which can 
change the nature of what is done. 
If it is right for God to visit the sin- 
ner here with the tokens of his dis- 
pleasure, there is nothing which can 
make it wrong to visit him in like 
manner in the future world. Why 
should that be wrong in another world 
which is right and proper in this? 
(4.) It will be a righteous thing for 
God to punish the wicked in a future 
state, for they are not always punished 
here as they deserve. No one can se- 
riously maintain that there is an equal 
distribution of rewards and punish- 
ments on the earth. Many a man 
goes to the grave having received no 
adequate punishment for his crimes. 
Many a murderer, pirate, robber, trai- 
tor, plunderer of nations under the 
name of a conqueror, thus dies. No 
one can doubt that it would be a 
"just" thing to punish them here if 
they could be arrested. Why should 
it be any the less "just" to punish 
them when they enter another world? 
In like manner, many a man lives a 
life of profligacy ; or is an open scoff- 
er; or casts off the government of 
God; or is a seducer of innocence; 
and yet lives in the midst of wealth, 
and goes down in calmness and peace 
to the grave. Psa. lxxiii. 3-5 ; Job xxi. 
23-33. Why is it no t " jus t" that such 
a one should be punished in the fut- 
ure world. Compare Psa, lxxiii. 16-20. 
But, if it is right that God should 
punish the wicked in the future world, 
it will be done. For (1.) there is 
nothing to hinder him from doing it. 
He has all power, and has all neces- 



6 rest with us ; when the Lord Je- 
sus c shall be revealed from heaven 
with 1 his mighty angels. 
8 In d flaming fire, 2 taking e venge- 

d Heb. 10. 27. 2 Pet. 3. 7. 

2 or , yielding. e Deut. 32. 41 , 43. 

sary means of inflicting punishment 
entirely at his disposal. (2.) It would 
not be right not to do it. It is not 
right for a magistrate to treat the 
righteous and the wicked alike, or to 
show that he has as much regard for 
the one as for the other. (3.) It can 
not be believed that God has uttered 
a threatening which he never meant to 
execute, or that he will appear before 
the universe as having held up before 
men the terror of the most awful pun- 
ishment which could be inflicted, but 
which he never intended to carry into 
effect. Who could have confidence in 
such a Being ? Who could know what 
to believe when he makes the most 
solemn declarations ? (4.) The Judge 
of all the earth "will do right;" and 
if it is right to declare that "the wick- 
ed shall be turned into hell," it will 
not be wrong to inflict the sentence. 
And if, on the whole, it is right that 
the sinner should be punished, it will 
be done. % Them that trouble you. Those 
who persecute you. See 1 Thess. ii. 14. 

7. And to you who are troubled. That 
is, "it will be a righteous thing for 
God to give to you who are persecu- 
ted?^ in the last day." As it will be 
right and proper to punish the wicked, 
so it will be right to reward the good. 
It will not, however, be in precisely 
the same sense. The wicked will de- 
serve all that they will suffer, but it 
can not be said that the righteous will 
deserve the reward which they will re- 
ceive. That reward will be right and 
proper, because (1.) there is a fitness 
that they who are the friends of God 
should be treated as such, or it is 
proper that he should show himself 
to be their friend ; and (2.) because in 
this life this is not always clearly 
done. They are often less prospered, 
and less happy in their outward cir- 
cumstances, than the wicked. There 
is, therefore, a propriety that in the 
future state God should manifest him- 
self as their friend, and show to as- 
sembled worlds that he is not indif- 
ferent to character, or that wickedness 
does not deserve his smiles, and piety 
incur his frown. At the same time, 
however, it will be owing wholly to 



72 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



ance on them that know a not God, 
and b that obey not the Gospel of 
our Lord Jesus Christ : 
9 Who shall be punished with 

aPsa. 79.6. Zep. 1.6. b Rom. 2. 8. 



his grace that any are ever admitted 
to heaven. Best. The future hap- 
piness of believers is often represented 
under the image of rest. It is rest like 
that of the weary laborer after his day 
of toil; rest, like that of the soldier 
after the hardships of a long and per- 
ilous march; rest, like the calm repose 
of one who has been racked with pain. 
See Notes on Heb. iv. 9. The w#rd 
rest here (avea-Ls) means a letting loose, 
a remission, a relaxation ; and hence 
composure, quiet. 2 Cor. ii. 12 ; vii. 
5. U With us. That is, with Paul, Silas, 
and Timothy. Ver. 1. It would in- 
crease the comfort of the Thessalo- 
nians derived from the anticipation of 
the future world, to reflect that they 
would meet their religious teachers 
and friends there. It always augments 
the anticipated joy of heaven to reflect 
that we are to share its blessedness 
with others. There is no envy among 
those w r ho anticipate heaven ; there 
will be none there. They who desire 
heaven at all, desire that it may be 
shared in the highest degree by all 
who are dear to them. If When the 
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. 
Shall appear ; shall come from heaven. 
See Notes on 1 Thess. iv. 6. «H With 
Ms mighty angels. Marg. , angels of his 
power. So the Greek. The sense is, 
that angels of exalted rank and glory 
will accompany him. See Notes on 
1 Thess. iv. 16. Comp. Matt. xxiv. 31 ; 
xxv. 31. 

8. Inflaming fire. This is a circum- 
stance which is not noticed in the ac- 
count of his appearing in the parallel 
place in 1 Thess. iv. 16. The object 
of the apostle here seems to be to rep- 
resent him as coming amid vivid 
flashes of lightning. He is commonly 
described as coming in clouds, and to 
that common description there is here 
added the image of incessant light- 
nings, as if the whole heavens were 
illuminated with a continued blaze. 
TT Taking vengeance. Marg., yielding. 
Gr. , giving. The word vengeance is used 
in the sense of punishment, for there 
can not be in God what literally cor- 
responds with the passion of revenge. 
Comp. Notes on Rom. xii. 19. If On 



everlasting destruction e from the 
presence of the Lord, and from the 
glory d of his power ; 
10 When he shall come to be e 

c Phil. 3.19. 2 Pet. 3. 7. d Isa. 2. 19. 

« Matt. 25. 31. 



them that know not God. On all who 
are strangers to him ; that is, who are 
living in heathenish darkness, or who, 
having heard of him, have no practi- 
cal acquaintance with him. ^ And 
that obey not the Gospel of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Who do not embrace it, 
and practice its precepts in their lives. 
Comp. Notes on Rom. ii. 9. 

9. Who shall be punished with everlast- 
ing destruction. See Notes on Matt, 
xxv. 41-46. The word which is here 
rendered destruction (6\&pbv), is dif- 
ferent from that which occurs in Matt, 
xxv. 46, and which is there rendered 
punishment — Ko\a<rLs. The word — oXs- 
hpov — olethron — occurs only here and 
in 1 Cor. v. 5 ; 1 Thess. v. 3 ; 1 Tim. 
9 ; in each of which places it is ren- 
dered destruction. It does not denote 
annihilation, but is used in the same 
sense in which we use the word when 
we say that a thing is destroyed. Thus 
health is destroyed when it fails; 
property is destroyed when it is 
burned or sunk in the ocean; a limb 
is destroyed that is lost in battle; life 
is destroyed when one dies. In the 
case before us, the destruction, what- 
ever it be, is (1.) to be continued for- 
ever; and (2.) is to be of the nature 
of punishment. The meaning then 
must be, that the soul is destroyed as 
to the great purposes of its being — its 
enjoyment, dignity, honor, holiness, 
happiness. It will not be annihilated, 
but will live and linger on in destruc- 
tion. It seems difficult to conceive 
how any one can profess to hold that 
this passage is a part of the word of 
God, and yet deny the doctrine of fut- 
ure eternal punishment. It would 
not be possible to state that doctrine 
in clearer language than this. It is 
not stated in clearer language in any 
creed or confession of faith, and if it 
be not true that the wicked will be 
punished forever, it must be admitted 
that it would not have been possible to 
reveal the doctrine in human language. 
T[ From the presence of the Lord. That 
is, a part of their punishment will con- 
sist in being banished from the imme- 
diate presence of the Lord. There is 
a sense in which God is every where 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER I. 



73 



glorified in his saints, and to be 
admired a in all thein that believe 



(because our testimony among you 
was believed) in that day. 



present, and in that sense he will be 
in the world where the wicked will 
dwell, to punish them. But the phrase 
is also used to denote his more imme- 
diate presence; the place where are 
the symbols of his majesty and glory; 
the home of the holy and the blessed. 
It is in that sense that the word is 
used here, and the idea is, -that it will 
be one of the circumstances contrib- 
uting to the deeper woe of the place 
of punishment, that those who dwell 
there will be banished from that holy 
abode, and will never be permitted to 
enter there. % And from the glory of 
his power. The meaning seems to be, 
that they will not be able to endure 
the manifestation of his power and 
majesty when he shall appear, but will 
be driven away by it into outer dark- 
ness. See ch. ii. 8. The Saviour, in 
describing his Second Advent, uses 
this language: "They shall see the 
Son of man coming in the clouds of 
heaven, with power and great glory." 
Matt. xxiv. 30. There will be a great 
exhibition of both. The power will be 
seen in the convulsions of nature 
which will precede or attend him ; in 
the resurrection of the dead; and in 
the bringing of all to judgment : the 
glory will be seen in his own person; 
the dignity and number of his attend- 
ants ; and the honor that will then be 
conferred on him as the final Judge 
of all mankind. By the manifestation 
of that power and glory the wicked 
will be driven away into eternal ruin. 
They will not be able to stand before 
it, and though, in common with the 
righteous, they may see the majesty 
of the Redeemer in the last day, yet 
they will be driven away to witness it 
no more. 

10. When he shall come to be glorified 
in his saints. That is, the redeemed in 
that day will be the means of promot- 
ing his glory, or the universe will see 
his glory manifested in their salvation. 
His chief glory, as seen in that day, 
will be connected with the fact that 
he has redeemed his people; and he 
will come in order that the appropri- 
ate honor of such a work may then be 
manifested. He will be "glorified" 
then by the numbers that will have 
been redeemed ; by their patience in 
the trials through which they have 
D 



passed ; by the triumphs which relig- 
ion will have made on the earth ; by 
their praises and songs, and by their 
ascent with him to the realms of bless- 
edness. *,[ And to be admired in all them 
that believe. This may either mean (1.) 
that he will be admired among or by 
them that believe; or (2.) that the 
ground of the admiration which he 
will receive in that day will be what 
will be seen in them; that is, their 
graces, their numbers, their joys, their 
triumphs will be the occasion of pro- 
ducing admiration of him — for he will 
be regarded as the source of it all. 
Tindal renders it, "and to be made 
marvelous in all them that believe." 
The latter interpretation seems to me 
to be the correct one. The general 
idea is, that Christ in that day will 
be manifested in a glorious manner, 
and that the source of his highest 
triumphs will be what is seen in the 
saints. His main honor when he re- 
turns to the world will not be the 
outward splendors which will attend 
his coming, nor the angels that will 
accompan} 7 him, nor the manifesta- 
tion of his power over the elements, 
but the Church which he has redeemed. 
It will then be seen that he is worthy 
of universal admiration for having re- 
deemed that Church. He will then be 
admired or glorified in his people, 
(1.) for having conceived the plan of 
redeeming them ; (2. ) for being willing 
to become incarnate and to die to save 
them; (3.) for the defense of his 
Church in all' its persecutions and 
trials ; (4.) for raising his people from 
the dead; (5.) for the virtues and 
graces which they will exhibit in that 
day. This appropriate honor of Christ 
in the Church has never yet been 
fully seen. His people on earth have, 
in general, most imperfectly reflected 
his image. They have in general been 
comparatively few in number, and 
scattered upon the earth. They have 
been poor and despised. Often they 
have been persecuted, and regarded as 
the "filth of the world and the off- 
scouring of all things." The honors 
of this world have been withheld from 
them. The great have regarded it as 
no honor to be identified with the 
Church, and the proud have been 
ashamed to be enrolled among the 



74 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



11 Wherefore also we pray al- 
ways for you, that our God would 1 
count you worthy a of this calling, 
and fulfil all the good pleasure of 
his goodness, and the work of faith 
with power ; 

1 or, vouchsafe. a Col. 1.12. Rev. 3.4. 



followers of the Lamb. In the last 
day all this will be changed, and the 
assembled Church will show to admir- 
ing worlds how great and glorious is 
its Redeemer, and how glorious was 
the work of redemption. Because 
our testimony among you ivas believed. 
The meaning of this seems to be, that 
they would be among the number of 
those who would in that day honor 
the Saviour, because they had embraced 
what the apostle had preached to them 
respecting these future scenes. Thus 
interpreted, this clause should be re- 
garded as connected with ver. 7, "And 
to you. it is a righteous thing that he 
should give rest with us, because our 
testimony among you was believed." 
That is, you have shown that } 7 ou are 
true Christians, and it is proper that 
you should partake of the triumphs 
and hopes of that day. 
. 11. Wherefore also we pray always for 
you. See Notes on 1 Thess. i. 2. Tf That 
our God would count you worthy of this 
calling. Marg., u or, vouchsafe." The 
meaning is, ' 1 that he would regard you 
as worthy of this calling." See Notes 
on verse 5. ■ Tf Of this calling. See 
Notes on Eph. iv. 1. The "calling" 
here is that which had brought them 
into the kingdom, and led them to be- 
come Christians. ^ And fulfill all the 
good pleasure of his goodness. That is, 
make the work of salvation complete 
and effectual. Olshausen has well ex- 
pressed the sense. " May God fill you 
with all that good which is pleasing 
to him." The thoughts in the pas- 
sage are, (1.) that the purpose toward 
them on the part of God was one of 
"goodness" or benevolence ; (2.) that 
there was a state of mind which would 
be regarded by him as pleasing, or as 
his "good pleasure ;" and (3.) that 
Paul wished that this might be ac- 
complished in them. He desired that 
there might be in them every thing 
which would be pleasing to God, and 
which his benevolence was fitted to 
secure. *ft And the work of faith. The 
work which faith is adapted to produce 
on the soul. See 1 John y. 4, 5. ^With 



12 That b the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ may be glorified in 
you, and ye in him, according to 
the grace of our God and the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

bl Pet. 1.7. 



power. Effectually, completely. The 
apostle prays that so much power 
may be exerted as will be sufficient to 
secure the object. The work of relig- 
ion on the soul is always represented 
in the Bible as one of power. 

12. That the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. That is, that the Lord Jesus 
himself may be honored among you ; 
the name often denoting the person. 
The idea is, that the apostle desired 
that the Lord Jesus might be honored 
among them by the fair application 
and development of the principles of 
his religion. Tf And ye in him. That 
you may be regarded and treated as his 
friends when he shall come to judge 
the world. T[ According to the grace of 
our God and the Lord Jesus Chr ist. That 
is, that you may experience all the 
honor which his grace is fitted to im- 
part. 

In view of the exposition given of 
this chapter, we may remark : 

(1.) That the wicked will certainly 
be punished when the Lord Jesus shall 
come to judgment. Words can not 
reveal this truth more plainly than is 
done in this chapter, and if it is not to 
be so, then language has no meaning. 

(2.) The punishment of the wicked 
will be eternal. It is impossible for 
language to teach that doctrine more 
clearly than is done in this chapter. 
If it were admitted to have been the 
intention of God to teach the doctrine 
of eternal punishment, it is impossible 
to conceive that he could have chos- 
en more plain and positive language 
to express the doctrine than has been 
done here. Can it be, then, that he 
means to trifle with men on so solemn 
a subject, by using words which have 
no meaning ? 

(3. ) It will greatly aggravate the pun- 
ishment of the wicked that it will be 
"a righteous thing" for God thus to 
punish them. If they were to suffer 
as martyrs ; if in their sufferings they 
could feel that they were oppressed 
and crushed beneath mere power; if 
they could feel that they were right 
and that God was wrong ; if they could 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



75 



get up a party in the universe against 
God, sympathizing with them as if 
the}' were wronged, the case would he 
changed. A man can endure suffering 
much more easily when he has a good 
conscience, and when he feels that he 
is right, than he can when he feels 
that what he endures is deserved. But 
the sinner in hell can never have this 
consolation. He will forever feel that 
God is right and that he is wrong, and 
that every pang which he endures is 
deserved. 

(4.) If it be a " righteous thing 1 ' that 
the wicked shall he punished, then they 
never can be saved by mere justice. 
No one will go to heaven because he 
deserves or merits it. All dependence 
on human merit, therefore, is taken 
away in the matter of salvation, and if 
the sinner is ever saved, it will be by 
grace, and not by justice. 

(5.) If it is a u righteous thing" that 
the sinner should perish, he will per- 
ish. God will do right to all. 

(6.) It is amazing that the mass of 
men have so little concern about their 
future condition. God has plainly de- 
clared that he will destroy the wick- 
ed forever, and that it will be a right- 
eous thing for him to do it ; and yet 
the mass of mankind are wholly un- 
concerned, and disregard all the sol- 
emn declarations of the Bible on this 
subject, as if they were idle tales. One 
would suppose that the very possibil- 
ity of eternal suffering would rouse all 
the sensibilities of the soul, and lead 
to the earnest inquiry whether it is 
not possible to avoid it. Yet the mass 
of men feel no concern in this inquiry. 
It is impossible to get them ever to 
think of it. We can not induce them 
even to ask the question seriously, 
whether they themselves are to be hap- 
py or miserable to all eternity. This 
stupidity and indifference is the most 
unaccountable fact on earth, and prob- 
ably distinguishes this world from all 
others. 

(7. ) It is rational to think of religion ; 
to reflect on eternity ; to be serious ; 
co be anxious about the future state. 
If there is even a possibility that we 
may be miserable forever, it is proper 
to be serious about it. And if there 
is a solemn declaration of God that it 
will be a "righteous thing" for him 
to punish the wicked, and that he will 
"punish them with everlasting de- 
struction," assuredly the mind should 
be concerned. Is there any thing more 



worthy the calm and sober attention 
of the human soul than such solemn 
declarations of the infinite God ? 

CHAPTER II. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

The main object of this chapter is 
to correct an erroneous impression 
which had been made on the minds of 
the Thessalonians respecting the sec- 
ond coming of the Saviour, either by 
the former letter of the apostle, or by 
one forged in his name. They had re- 
ceived the impression that that event 
was about to take place. This belief 
had produced an unhappy effect on 
their minds. Ver. 2. It became, there- 
fore, necessary to state the truth on 
the subject, in order to free their minds 
from alarm ; and this purpose of the 
apostle leads to one of the most im- 
portant prophecies in the New Testa- 
ment. The chapter comprises the fol- 
lowing points : 

I. An exhortation that they would 
not be alarmed or distressed by the 
expectation of the speedy coming of 
the Saviour. Vs. 1, 2. 

II. A statement of the truth that he 
would not soon appear, and of the char- 
acteristics of a great apostasy which 
must intervene before his advent. Ver. 
3-12. 

In this part of the chapter the apos- 
tle shows that he did not mean to teach 
that that event would soon happen, 
by stating that before that would take 
| place there would occur a most melan- 
: choly apostasy which would require a 
considerable time before it was ma- 
tured. 

(a) That day would not come until 
there should be a great apostasy, and 
a revelation of the man of sin. Ver. 3. 

(b) The character of this man of sin 
was to be such that it could not be 
mistaken : he would be opposed to 
God ; he would exalt himself above all 
that is called God ; he would sit in 
the temple showing himself as God. 
Ver. 4. 

(c) There was a restraint then exer- 
cised which prevented the develop- 
ment of the great apostasy. There were 
in/Aeed causes then at work which 
would lead to it, but they were then 
held in check, and God would restrain 

\ them until some future time, when he 
I would suffer the man of sin to be re- 
| vealed. Ver. 5-7. 

(d) When that time should come, 
| then that "wicked" one would be re- 



'76 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



CHAPTEE II. 

NOW we beseech you, brethren, 
by the coming of our Lord 

vealed, with such marks that he could 
not be mistaken. His coming would 
"be after the working of Satan, with 
power, and signs, and lying wonders, 
and under him there would be strong 
delusion, and the belief of a lie. Ver. 
8-12. This great foe of God was to be 
destroyed by the coming of the Sav- 
iour, and one object of his appearing 
would be to put an end to his domin- 
ion. Ver. 8. 

III. The apostle then says, that there 
was occasion for thankfulness to God 
that he had chosen them to salvation, 
and not left them to be destroyed. 
Vs. 13, 14. 

IV. An exhortation to stand fast, 
and to maintain what they had been 
taught (ver. 15), and a prayer that God, 
who had given them a good hope, 
would comfort their hearts, closes the 
chapter. Vs. 16, 17. 

1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The 
phrase "by the coming" is not here, 
as our translators seem to have sup- 
posed, a form of solemn adjuration. It 
is not common, if it ever occurs in the 
Scriptures, to make a solemn adjura- 
tion in view of an event, and the con- 
nection here demands that we give to 
the phrase a different sense. It means 
respecting his coming ; and the idea of 
Paul is, u In regard to that great event 
of which I spoke to you in my former 
epistle — the coming of the Saviour— I 
beseech you not to be troubled, as if 
it were soon to happen. ' ' As his views 
had been misunderstood or misrepre- 
sented, he now proposes to show them 
that there was nothing in the true 
doctrine which should create alarm, 
as if Christ were about to appear. 
1" And by our gathering together unto 
him. There is manifest allusion here 
to what is said in the first epistle (ch. 
iv. 17), " then we shall be caught up to- 
gether with them in the clouds ;" and 
the meaning is, "in reference to our 
being gathered unto him, I beseech^bu 
not to be shaken in mind, as if that 
event were near." 

2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind. 
The word here used signifies, proper- 
ly, to be moved as a wave of the sea, 
or to be tossed upon the waves as a 
vessel is. Then it means to be shaken 



Jesus Christ, and by our gathering 
together unto him, 
2 That ye be not soon shaken in 

in any wav. See Matt, xi.7 ; xxiv. 29; 
Luke vi. 38; Acts iv. 31; Heb. xii. 26. 
The reference here is to the agitation 
or alarm felt from the belief that the 
day of judgment would soon occur. 
It is uniformly said in the Scriptures 
that the approach of the Lord Jesus 
to judge the world will produce great 
consternation and alarm. Matt. xxiv. 
30, "Then shall appear the sign of the 
Son of man in heaven, and then shall 
all the tribes of the earth mourn." 
Kev. i. 7, "Behold, he cometh with 
clouds ; and every eye shall see him ; 
and they also which pierced him ; and 
all kindreds of the earth shall wail be- 
'cause of him." Luke xxiii. 30," Then 
shall they begin to say to the mount- 
ains, Fall on us ; and to the hills, Cov- 
er us." Comp. Isa. ii. 21, 22. Of the 
truth of this there can be no doubt. 
We may imagine something of the ef- 
fects which will then be produced, by 
the alarm which is caused in a com- 
munity when a belief prevails that the 
day of judgment is near. In a single 
year (1843) seventeen persons were ad- 
mitted to the Lunatic Asylum in Wor- 
cester, Mass., who had become de- 
ranged in consequence of the expecta- 
tion that the Lord Jesus was about to 
appear. It is easy to account for such 
facts, and no doubt, when the Lord Je- 
sus shall actually come, the effect on 
the guilty world will be overwhelm- 
ing. The apostle here says, also, that 
those who were Christians were " shak- 
en in mind and troubled" by this an- 
ticipation. There are, doubtless, many 
true Christians who would be alarmed 
at such an event, as there are many 
who, like Hezekiah (Isa. xxxviii. 1, 2), 
are alarmed at the prospect of death. 
Many real Christians might, on the sud- 
den occurrence of such an event, feel 
that they were not prepared, and be 
alarmed at the prospect of passing 
through the great trial which is to de- 
termine their everlasting destiny. It 
is no certain evidence of a want of pi- 
ety to be alarmed at the approach of 
death. Our nature dreads death, and 
though there may be a well-founded 
hope of heaven, it will not always pre- 
serve a delicate physical frame from 
trembling when it comes. H Or be 
troubled. That is, disturbed, or terri- 
fied. It would seem that this belief 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



77 



mind, or be troubled, neither by 
spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, 



had produced much consternation 
among them. U Neither by spirit. By 
any pretended spirit of prophecy. But 
whether this refers to the predictions 
of those who were false prophets in 
Thessalonica, or to something which 
it was alleged the apostle Paul had 
himself said there, and which was con- 
strued as meaning that the time was 
near, is not certain. This depends 
much on the question whether the 
phrase "as from us," refers only to 
the letters which had been sent to them , 
or also to the "word" and to the "spir- 
it" here spoken of. See Olshausen 
on the place. It would seem, from the 
connection, that all their consterna- 
tion had been caused by some miscon- 
struction which had been put on the 
sentiments of Paul himself, fo* if there 
had been any other source of alarm, 
he would naturally have referred to 
it. It is probable, therefore, that al- 
lusion is made to some representation 
which had been given of what he had 
said under the influence of the Holy 
Spirit, and that the expectation that 
the end of the world was near was 
supposed to be a doctrine of inspira- 
tion. Whether, however, the Thessa- 
lonians themselves put this construc- 
tion on what he said, or whether those 
who had caused the alarm represent- 
ed him as teaching this, can not be de- 
termined. H Nor by word. That is, by 
public instruction, or in preaching. 
It is evident that when the apostle was 
among them this subject, from some 
cause, was prominent in his discourses. 
See verse 5. It had been inferred, it 
seems, from what he said, that he meant 
to teach that the end of the world was 
near. If Nor by letter. Either the one 
which he had before written to them 
— the First Epistle to the Thessalo- 
nians — or one which had been forged 
in his name. ^ As from us. That is, 
Paul, Silas, and Timothy, who are unit- 
ed in writing the two epistles (1 Thess. 
i. 1 ; 2 Thess. i. 1), and in whose names 
a letter would be forged, if one of this 
description were sent to them. It 
* has been made a question whether the 
apostle refers here to the former epis- 
tle which he had sent to them, or to 
a forged letter ; and on this question 
critics have been about equally divid- 
ed. The reasons for the former opin- 



as from us, as a that the day of 
Christ is at hand. 

a Matt. 24.4-6. 

ion may be seen in Paley's Horce Pan- 
lince, in loc. The question is not very 
important, and perhaps can not be easi- 
ly settled. There are two or three 
circumstances, however, which seem 
to make it probable that he refers to 
an epistle which had been forged, and 
which had been pretended to be re- 
ceived from him. (1.) One is found in 
the expression "as from us." If he 
had referred to his own former letter, 
it seems to me that the allusion would 
have been more distinct, and that the 
particle ' 4 as 1 ' (ws) would not have been 
used. This is such an expression as 
would have been employed if the ref- 
erence were to such a forged letter. (2.) 
A second circumstance is found in the 
expression in the next verse, "Let no 
man deceive you by any means," which 
looks as if they were not led into this 
belief by their own interpretation of 
his former epistle, but by a deliberate 
attempt of some one to delude them 
on the subject. (3.) Perhaps a third 
circumstance would be found in the 
fact that it was not uncommon in the 
early times of Christianity to attempt 
to impose forged writings on the 
churches. Nothing would be more 
natural for an impostor who wished to 
acquire influence than to do this ; and 
that it was often done is well known. 
That epistles were forged under the 
names of the apostles, appears very 
probable, as Benson has remarked, 
from ch. hi. 17, Gal. vi. 11, and Philem. 
19. There are, indeed, none of those 
forged epistles extant which were com- 
posed in the time of the apostles, but 
there is extant an epistle of Paul to 
the Corinthians, besides the two which 
we have; another to the Laodiceans; 
and six of Paul's epistles to Seneca — 
all of which are undoubted forgeries. 
See Benson, in loc. If Paul, however, 
here refers to his former epistle, the 
allusion is doubtless to 1 Thess. iv. 15, 
and v. 2, 3, 4, which might easily be 
understood, as teaching that the end 
of the world was near, and to which 
those who maintained that opinion 
might appeal with great plausibility. 
We have, however, the authority of 
the apostle himself that he meant to 
teach no such thing. If As that the day 
of Christ is at hand. The time when 
he would appear— called "^he day of 



78 



II. THE S SAL ONI ANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



3 Let no man deceive you by any 
means : for that day shall not come, 
except a there come a falling away 

a 1 Tim. 4.1. b Dan. 7. 25. 

Christ," because it would be appoint- 
ed especially for the manifestation of 
his glory. The phrase u at hand" 
means near. Grotius supposes that 
it denotes that same year, and refers 
for proof to Rom. viii. 38 ; 1 Cor. iii. 
22; Gal. i.4; Heb. ix. 9. If so, the at- 
tempt to fix the day was an early in- 
dication of the desire to determine the 
very time of his appearing — a disposi- 
tion w hich has been so common since, 
and which has led into so many sad 
mistakes. 

3. Let no man deceive you by any means. 
That is, respecting the coming of the 
Lord Jesus. This implies that there 
were then attempts to deceive, and that 
it was of great importance lor Chris- 
tians to be on their guard. The result 
has shown that there is almost no sub- 
ject on which caution is more proper, 
and on which men are more liable to 
delusion. The means then resorted to 
for deception appear, from the previ- 
ous verse, to have been either an ap- 
peal to a pretended verbal message 
from the apostle, or a pretended letter 
from him. The means now consist 
of a claim to uncommon wisdom in 
the interpretation of obscure prophe- 
cies of the Scriptures. The necessity 
for the caution here given has not 
ceased. *fi For that day shall not come, 
except there come a falling away first. 
Until an apostasy {aTroarraaia) shall 
have occurred — the great apostasy. 
There is scarcely any passage of the 
New Testament which has given oc- 
casion to greater diversity of opinion 
than this. Though the reference seems 
to be plain, and there is scarcely any 
prophecy of the Bible apparently more 
obvious and easy in its general inter- 
pretation, yet it is proper to mention 
some of the opinions which have been 
entertained of it. Some have referred 
it to a great apostasy from the Chris- 
tian Church, particularly on account 
of persecution, which would occur be- 
fore the destruction of Jerusalem. 
The "coming of the Lord" they sup- 
pose refers to the destruction of the 
holy city, and according to this, the 
meaning is, that there would be a great 
apostasy before that event would take 
place. Of this opinion was Vitringa, 
who refer^the "apostasy" to a great 



first, and that man of sin 6 be re- 
vealed, the c son of perdition : 
4 Who opposeth and exalteth d 

c John 17. 12. <Usa. 14. 13. Rev. 13. 6. 

defection from the faith which took 
place between the time of Nero and 
Trajan. Whitby also refers it to an 
event which was to take place before 
the destruction of Jerusalem, and sup- 
poses that the apostasy would consist 
in a return from the Christian to the 
Jewish faith by multitudes of profess- 
ed converts. The " man of sin," ac- 
cording to him, means the Jewish na- 
tion, so characterized on account of 
its eminent wickedness. Hammond 
explains the apostasy by the defection 
to the Gnostics, under the arts of Si- 
mon Magus, whom he supposes to be 
the man of sin, and by the "day of 
the Lord" he also understands the de- 
struction of Jerusalem. Grotius takes 
Caligula to he the man of sin, and by 
the apostasy he understands his abom- 
inable wickedness. In the beginning 
of his government, he says, his plans 
of iniquity were concealed, and the 
hopes of all were excited in regard to 
his reign ; but his secret iniquity w 7 as 
subsequently " revealed," and his true 
character understood. Wetstein un- 
derstands by the "man of sin," "Ti- 
tus and the Flavian house." He says 
that he does not understand it of the 
Roman Pontiff, who "is not one such 
as the demonstrative pronoun thrice 
repeated designates, and who neither 
sits in the temple of God, nor calls 
himself God, nor Caius, nor Simon 
Gioriae, nor any Jewish impostor, nor 
Simon Magus." Koppe refers it to 
the king mentioned in Dan. xi. 86. 
According to him, the reference is to 
a great apostasy of the Jews from the 
worship of God, and the " man of sin" * 
is the Jewish people. Gthers have 
supposed that the reference is to Mo- 
hammed, and that the main character- 
istics of the prophecy may be found 
in him. Of the Papists, a part affirm 
that the apostasy is the falling aw^ay 
from Rome in the time of the Refor- 
mation, but the greater portion sup- 
pose that the allusion is to Antichrist, 
who, they say, will appear in the world 
before the great day of judgment, to 
combat religion and the saints. See 
these opinions stated at length, and 
examined, hi Bishop Newton, On the 
Prophecies, diss. xxii. Some more re- 
cent expositors have referred it to Na- 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



79 



poleon Bonaparte, and some (as Ols- 
hausen) suppose that it refers to some 
one who has not yet appeared, in whom 
all the characteristics here specified 
will be found united. Most Protest- 
ant commentators have referred it 
to the great apostasy under the Pa- 
pacy, and, by the "man of sin," they 
suppose there is allusion to the Ro- 
man Pontiff, the Pope. It is evident 
that we are in better circumstances 
to understand the passage than those 
were who immediately succeeded the 
apostles. Eighteen hundred years 
have passed away since the epistle was 
written, and the u day of the Lord" 
lias not yet come, and we have an op- 
portunity of inquiring whether in all 
that long tract of time any one man 
can be found, or any series of men 
have arisen, to whom the description 
here given is applicable. If so, it is in 
accordance with all the proper rules of 
interpreting prophecy to make such 
an application. If it is fairly applicable 
to the Papacy, and can not be applied 
in its great features to any thing else, 
it is proper to regard it as having such 
as original reference. Happily, the 
expressions which are used by the 
apostle are, in themselves, not difficult 
of interpretation, and all that the ex- 
positor has to do is to ascertain wheth- 
er in any one great apostasy all the things 
here mentioned have occurred. If so, it 
is fair to apply the prophecy to such 
an event ; if not so, we must wait still 
for its fulfillment. The word rendered 
"falling away" (aTroa-Taaria, apostasy), 
is of so general a character that it may 
be applied to any departure from the 
faith as it was received in the time of 
the apostles. It occurs in the New 
Testament only here and in Acts xxi. 
21, where it is rendered " to forsake" 
— "thou teachest all the Jews which 
are among us to forsake Moses" — apos- 
tasy from Moses — airoarTatriav airo McoD- 
o-f'ws. The word means a departing 
from, or a defection. See the verb used 
in 1 Tim. iv. 1, "Some shall depart from 
the faith" — a-rroaTno-ovTai. Compare 
Notes on that passage. See also Heb. 
iii. 12 ; Luke viii. 13 ; Acts v. 37. The 
reference here is evidently to some 
general falling away, or to some great 
religious apostasy that was to occur ; 
which would be under one head, lead- 
er, or dynasty ; and which would in- 
volve many in the same departure 
from the faith, and in the same de- 
struction. The use of the article here, 



I "the apostasy" (Greek), Erasmus re- 
I marks, "signifies that great and be- 
! fore-predicted apostasy." It is evi- 
dently emphatic, showing that there 
1 had been a reference to this before, or 
j that they understood well that there 
I was to be such an apostasy. Paul 
! says (ver. 5) that when he was with 
them he ha^ told them of these things. 
The writers in the New Testament 
! often speak of such a defection under 
, the name of Antichrist. See Rev. xiii. 
14; 1 John ii, 18, 22; iv. 3; 2 John 7. 
! If And that man of sin. This is a He- 
braism, meaning a man of eminent 
wickedness ; one distinguished for de- 
pravity. Comp. John xvii. 12; Prov. 
I vi. 12, in Heb. The use of the article 
i here — 6 avSpunros — "the man of sin," 
| is also emphatic, as in the reference 
to "the falling away," and shows that 
! there is allusion to one of whom they 
| had before heard, and whose character 
j was well known; who would be the 
I wicked one by way of eminence. See 
I also ver. 8, "that wicked" — 6 civo/ios. 
j There are two general questions in re- 
! gard to the proper interpretation of 
I this appellative; the one is, whether 
j it refers to an individual, or to a series 
' of individuals of the same general char- 
acter, aiming at the accomplishment 
j of the same plans ; and the other is, 
| whether there has been any individual, 
! or any series of individuals, since the 
| time of the apostle, who, by eminence, 
deserved to be called "the man of sin." 
I That the phrase, "the man of sin," 
! may refer to a succession of men of the 
; same general character,and that it does 
I so refer here, is evident from the fol- 
lowing considerations: (1.) The word 
"king" is used in Dan. vii. 25; xi. 36, 
to which places Paul seems to allude, 
to denote a succession of kings. (2.) 
I The same is true of the beast mention- 
j ed in Dan. vii., viii., Rev. xiii., repre- 
| senting a kingdom or empire through 
! its successive changes and revolutions. 
| (3.) The same is true of the "woman 
| arrayed in purple and scarlet" (Rev. 
xvii. 4), which can not refer to a single 
! woman, but is the emblem of a con- 
j tinued corrupt administration. (4.) 
It is clear that a succession is intend- 
I ed here, because the work assigned to 
" the man of sin" can not be supposed 
to be that which could be accomplish- 
ed by a single individual. The state- 
ment of the apostle is, that there were 
I then tendencies to such an apostasy, 
I and that the "man of sin" would be 



80 



II. TIIESSALOXIAXS. 



[A.D. 53. 



revealed at no distant period, and yet 
that he would continue his work of 
" lying wonders" until the coming of 
the Saviour to destroy him. In regard 
to this u man of sin," it may be further 
observed, (1.) that his appearing was to 
be preceded by u the great apostasy;" 
and (2.) that he was to continue and 
perpetuate that apostasy. His rise was 
to be owing to a great departure from 
the faith, and then he was to be the 
principal agent in continuing such a 
departure by u signs and lying won- 
ders." He was not himself to origi- 
nate the defection, but was to be the 
creation, or the result of it. He was 
to rise upon it, or grow out of it, and, 
by artful arrangements adapted to 
that purpose, was then to perpetuate 
it. The question is, to whom this 
phrase, descriptive of a succession of 
individuals so eminent for wickedness 
that the name "the man of sin" could 
be applied to them, was designed by 
the Spirit of inspiration to refer. Bish- 
op Newton has shown that it can not 
refer to Caligula, to Simon Magus, to 
the revolt of the Jews from the Ro- 
mans, to the revolt of the Jews from 
the faith, to the Flavian family, to Lu- 
ther, as some of the Papists suppose, 
or to one man who will appear just 
before the end of the world, as others 
of the Romanists suppose. See his 
Dissertations on the Prophecies, xxii. 
p. 893-402. Comp. Olshausen, in loc. 
The argument is too long to be in- 
serted here. But can it be referred to 
the Papacy ? Can it denote the Pope 
of Rome, meaning not a single Pope, 
but the succession ? If all the circum- 
stances of the entire passage can be 
shown to be fairly applicable to him, 
or if it can be shown that all that is 
Mrly implied in the language used here 
has received a fulfillment in him, then 
it is proper to regard it as having been 
designed to be so applied, and then 
this may be numbered among the 
prophecies that are in part fulfilled. 
The question now is on the applica- 
bility of the phrase 4 ' the man of sin" 
to the Pope. That his rise was pre- 
ceded by a great apostasy, or departure 
from the purity of the simple Gospel, 
as revealed in the New Testament, can 
not reasonably be doubted by any one 
acquainted with the history of the 
Church. That he is the creation or re- 
sult of that apostas}^, is equally clear. 
That he is the grand agent in continu- 
ift#it,is equally manifest. Is the phrase 



itself one that is properly applicable 
to him ? Is it proper to speak of the 
Pope of Rome, as he has actually ap- 
peared, as u the man of sin?" In re- 
ply to this, it might be sufficient to re- 
fer to the general character of the Pa- 
pacy, and to its influence in upholding 
and perpetuating various forms of in- 
iquity in the world. It would be easy 
to show that there has been no dynas- 
ty or system that has contributed so 
much to uphold and perpetuate sins 
of various kinds on the earth as the 
Papac}\ No other one has been so 
extensively and so long the patron of 
superstition; and there are vices of 
the grossest character which have all 
along been fostered by its system of 
celibacy,indulgences, monasteries, and 
absolutions. But it would be a better 
illustration of the meaning of the 
phrase "man of sin," as applicable to 
the Pope of Rome, to look at the gener- 
al character of the Popes themselves. 
Though there may have been some ex- 
ceptions, yet there never has been a 
succession of men of so decidedly wick- 
ed character as have occupied the Pa- 
pal throne since the great apostasy 
commenced. A very few references 
to the characters of the Popes will 
furnish an illustration of this point. 
Pope Vagilius waded to the Pontifical 
throne through the blood of his pred- 
ecessor. Pope Joan — the Roman 
Catholic writers tell us — a female in 
disguise, was elected and confirmed 
Pope, as John VIII. Platina says that 
"she became with child by some of 
those that were round about her; 
that she miscarried, and died on her 
way from the Late ran to the temple." 
Pope Marcellinus sacrificed to idols. 
Concerning Pope Honorius, the coun- 
cil of Constantinople decreed: "We 
have caused Honorius, the late Pope 
of Old Rome, to be accursed; for that 
in all things he followed the mind of 
Sergius the heretic, and confirmed his 
wicked doctrines." The council of 
Basle thus condemnedPopeEugenius: 
"We condemn and depose Pope Eu- 
genius, a despiser of the holy canons ; 
a disturber of the peace and unity of 
the Church of God; a notorious of- 
fender of the whole universal Church; 
a Simonist; a perjurer; a man incor- 
rigible; a schismatic; a man fallen 
from the faith, and a willful heretic." 
Pope John II. was publicly charged at 
Rome with incest. Pope John XIII. 
usurped the Pontificate, spent his time 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



81 



himself above all that is called 
God, or that is worshipped; so 
that he, as God, sitteth in the tem- 



ple of God, shewing himself that 
he is God. 
5 Remember ye not, that, when 



hi hunting, in lasciviousness, and mon- 
strous forms of vice ; lie fled from the 
trial to which he was summoned, and 
was stabbed, being taken in the act of 
adultery. Pope Sixtus IV. licensed 
brothels at Rome. Pope Alexander 
• VI. was, as a Roman Catholic histori- 
an says, " one of the greatest and most 
horrible monsters in nature that could 
scandalize the holy chair. His beast- 
ly morals, his immense ambition, his 
insatiable avarice, his detestable cru- 
elty, his furious lusts, and monstrous 
incest with his daughter Lucretia, are^ 
at large, described by Guicciardini Ci-T 
aconius, and other authentic Papal 1 
historians." Of the Popes, Platina, a 
Roman Catholic, says : " The chair of 
Saint Peter was usurped, rather than 
possessed, by monsters of wickedness, 
ambition, and bribery. They left no 
wickedness unpracticed." Seethe 
New Englander, April, 1844, p. 285, 
286. To no succession of men who 
have ever lived could the appellative 
"the man of sin" be applied with so 
much propriety as to this succession. 
Yet they claim to have been the true 
"successors" of the apostles, and 
there are Protestants that deem it of es- 
sential importance to be able to show 
that they have derived the true "suc- 
cession" through such men. H Be 
revealed. Be made manifest. There 
were, at the time when the apostle 
wrote, two remarkable things: (1.) 
there was already a tendency to such an 
apostasy as he spoke of ; and (2.) there 
was something which as yet prevented 
the appearance or the rise of the man 
of sin. Ver. 7. When the hinderance 
which then existed should be taken 
out of the way, he would be mani- 
fested. See Notes on ver. 7. The 
son of perdition. This is the same ap- 
pellation which the Saviour bestow- 
ed on Judas. See it explained in the 
Notes on John xvii. 12. It may mean 
either that he would be the cause of 
ruin to others, or that he would him- 
self be devoted to destruction. It 
would seem here rather to be used in 
the latter sense, though this is not ab- 
solutely certain. The phrase, which- 
ever interpretation be adopted, is used 
to denote one of eminent wickedness. 
< 4. Who opposeth. That is, he is dis- 
tinguished as an opposer of the great 
D 2 



system which God has revealed for 
human salvation, and of those who 
would serve God in purity in the Gos- 
pel of his Son. No Protestant will 
doubt that this has been the Character 
of the Papacy. The opposition of the 
general system to the Gospel ; the per- 
secution of Wickliffe, of John Huss, 
of Jerome of Prague, of the Walden- 
ses, and the Reformers; the Inquisi- 
tion, the cruelties in the reign of 
Mary, the horrors perpetrated by the 
Duke of Alva in the Netherlands, and 
fihe massacre on St. Bartholomew's 
day in France, are obvious illustra- 
tions of this. T[ And exalteth himself 
above all that is called God. That is, 
whether among the heathens or the 
Jews ; above a false God, or the true 
God. This could be true only of one 
who set aside the divine laws ; who 
undertook to legislate where God only 
has a right to legislate ; and whose 
legislation was contrary to that of 
God. Any claim of a dominion over 
conscience, or any arrangement to set 
aside the divine laws, and to render 
them nugatory, would correspond with 
what is implied in this description. 
It can not be supposed that any one 
would openly claim to be superior to 
God, but the sense must be that the 
enactments of the "man of sin" would 
pertain to the province in which God 
only can legislate, and that the ordi- 
nances made by him would be such 
as to render nugatory the divine laws, 
by appointing others in their place. 
No one can reasonably doubt that all 
that is here affirmed may be found in 
the claims of the Pope of Rome. The 
assumptions of the Papacy have re- 
lated to the following things : (1.) To 
authority above all the inferior orders 
of the priesthood— above all pastors, 
bishops, and primates. (2. ) Authority 
above all kings and emperors, "de- 
spising some, and advancing others, 
obliging them to prostrate themselves 
before him, to kiss his toe, to hold his 
stirrup, to w T ait barefooted at his gate, 
treading even upon the neck, and 
kicking off the imperial crown with 
his foot." — Newton. Thus 'Gregory 
VII. made Henry IV. wait barefooted 
at his gate. Thus Alexander III. trod 
upon the neck of Alexander I. Thus 
Celestinekickedoffthe imperialcrown 



82 



II. THESSALON'IANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



of Henry VI. Thus the right was 
claimed, and asserted, of laying na- 
tions under interdict, of deposing 
kings, and of absolving their subjects 
from their oaths of allegiance. And 
thus the Pope claimed the right over 
all unknown lands that might be dis- 
covered by Columbus, and apportion- 
ed the New World as he pleased—in 
all these things claiming prerogatives 
which can appertain only to God. 
(3.) To authority over the conscience, 
in matters which can pertain only to 
God himself, and where he only can 
legislate. Thus it has been, and is, 
one of the claims set up for the Pope 
that he is infallible. Thus he "for- 
bids what God has commanded," as 
the marriage of the clergy, commun- 
ion in both kinds, and the use of the 
Scriptures for the common people. 
Thus he has set aside the second com- 
mandment by the appointment of 
image- worship ; and thus he claims 
the power of the remission of sins. 
Multitudes of things which Christ al- 
lows his people are forbidden by the 
Papacy, and many things are enjoined, 
or allowed, directly contrary to the 
divine legislation. Or that is wor- 
shiped. a-s(3a<T/uLa. This word means 
an object of worship. See Acts. xvii. 3, 
where it is rendered devotions. It may 
be applied to the worship of a heathen 
divinity, or of the true God. u It may 
refer to a person, an idol, or a place. 
Probably Paul refers here to the he- 
roes and other subordinate divinities 
of the heathen mytholog} 7 ." — Olshau- 
sen. No one can doubt that the Pope 
has claimed higher honors, as the vice- 
gerent of Christ, than was ever ren- 
dered in the ancient "hero worship." 
IT So that he, as God. That is, claiming 
the honors due to God. This expres- 
sion would not imply that he actually 
claimed to be the true God, but only 
that he sits in the temple, and mani- 
fests himself as if he were God. He 
claims such honors and such rever- 
ence as the true God would if he should 
appear in human form. It should be 
observed here, however, that there is 
much reason to doubt the genuine- 
ness of this phrase — 11 as God" — w? 
Qeov. Mill supposes that it was insert- 
ed from the context. It is marked 
with an* asterisk in the Vulgate, the 
Coptic, and the Syriac, and is omitted 
by many of the fathers. See Mill and 
Wetstein. It is rejected by Griesbach 
and Lachmann, and marked as doubt- 



ful by Hahn. It is defended, howev- 
er, by Matthaei, Koppe, Knapp, and 
Schott. The sense is not materially 
affected whether it be regarded as gen- 
uine or not. H Sitteth in the temple of 
God. That is, in the Christian Churc h. 
It is by no means necessary to under- 
stand this of the temple at J erusalem, 
which was standing at the time this 
epistle was written, for (1.) the phrase 
" the temple of God" is several times 
used with reference to the Christian 
Church: 2 Cor. vi. 16; Eph. ii. 21; 1 
Cor. iii. 16, 17; Rev. iii. 12; and (2.) 
the temple was the proper symbol of 
the Church, and an apostle trained 
amid the Hebrew institutions would 
Lnaturally speak of the Church as the 
'"temple of God. The temple at Jeru- 
salem was regarded as the peculiar 
dwelling-place of God on earth. When 
the Christian Church was founded, it 
was spoken of as the peculiar dwell- 
ing-place of God. See the passages 
referred to above. He dwelt among 
his people. He was with them, and 
walked with them, and manifested 
himself among them— as he had done 
in the ancient temple. The usage in 
the New Testament would not lead us 
to restrict this language to an edifice, 
or a "church," as the word is now 
commonly used, but rather to suppose 
that it denotes the Church as a soci- 
ety ; and the idea is, that the Anti- 
christ here referred to would present 
himself in the midst of that Church 
as claiming the honors due to God 
alone. In the temple at Jerusalem, 
God himself presided. There he gave 
laws to his people; there he mani- 
fested himself as God ; and there he 
was worshiped. The reign of the 
"man of sin" would be as if he should 
sit there. In the Christian Church he 
would usurp the place which God had 
occupied in the temple. He would 
claim divine attributes and homage. 
He would give laws and responses as 
God did there. He would be regard- 
ed as the head of all ecclesiastical pow- 
er ; the source from which all author- 
ity emanated; the same in the Chris- 
tian Church which God himself was 
in the temple. This does not then 
refer primarily to the Pope as sitting 
in any particular church on any par- 
ticular occasion, but to his claiming 
in the Church of Christ the authority 
and homage which God had in the 
temple at Jerusalem. In whatever 
place, whether in a cathedral or else- 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



83 



I was yet w i t li you, I told you 
these things ? 
6 And now ye know what 1 with- 



holcleth, that he might be revealed 
in his time. 
7 For the mystery of iniquity 



where, this authority should be exer- I 
cised, all that the language here con- 
veys would be fulfilled. No one can ! 
fail to see that the authority claimed j 
by the Pope of Home meets the full j 
-force of the language used hereby the ; 
apostle. T[ Showing himself that he is 
God. This does not necessarily mean 
that he actually, in so many words, 
claimed to be God; but that he usurp- 
ed the place of God, and claimed the 
prerogatives of God. If the names of 
God are given to him, or are claimed 
by him ; if he receives the honors due 
to God; if he asserts a dominion like 
that of God, then all that the language 
fairly implies will be fulfilled. The 
following expressions, applied to the 
Pope of Rome by Catholic writers 
without any rebuke from the Papacy, 
will show how entirely applicable this 
is to the pretended head of the 
Church. He has been styled "Our 
Lord God the Pope ; another God 
upon earth; king of kings and lord of 
lords. The same is the dominion of 
God and the Pope. To believe that 
our Lord God the Pope might not'cle- 
cree as he decreed, is heresy. The 
power of the Pope is greater than all 
created power, and extends itself to 
things celestial, terrestrial, and infer- 
nal. The Pope doeth whatsoever he 
listeth, even things unlawful, and is 
more than God." See the authority 
for these extraordinary declarations in 
Bishop Newton, On the Prophecies, diss, 
xxii. How can it be doubted that the 
reference here is to the Papacy ? Lan- 
guage could not be plainer, and it is 
not possible to conceive that any thing 
can ever occur which would furnish 
a more manifest fulfillment of this 
prophecy. Indeed, interpreted by the 
claims of the Papacy, it stands among 
the very clearest of all the predictions 
in the Sacred Scriptures. 

5. Remember ye not, that, when I was 
yet with you, I told you these things? 
The whole subject of the second ad- 
vent of the Saviour seems to have con- 
stituted an important part of the in- 
structions of Paul when at Thessalo- 
nica. He now refers them to what he 
had told them respecting the great 
apostasy, to show that his views had 
not changed, and that he did not mean 



to have them understand that the 
world would soon come to an end. 
He had stated these things to them, 
implying that a considerable interval 
must elapse before the Saviour would 
appear. Much of the obscurity of this 
prophecy arises from the fact that the 
apostle alludes to things which he had 
told them when with them, of which 
we have now no knowledge. Hence, 
what would be perfectly clear to them, 
on reading this letter, is now difficult 
to be understood. 

6. And now ye know what withholdeth. 
Marg., holdeth. The reference is to 
something that then operated to con- 
strain QYhold back the obvious tend- 
ency of things, so that the "man of 
sin" should not at once appear, or so 
that things should not soon so devel- 
op themselves as to give rise to this 
antichristian power. There were 
causes at work, even then, which 
would ultimately lead to this ; but 
there was also something which 
checked the tendency of things so 
that the revelation or development 
of the "man of sin" was put off to a 
future period. The obvious meaning 
of this would be that, when the apos- 
tle wrote, there was a tendency to 
what would occur under the great 
apostasy, and that this would soon 
develop itself if it were not restrained. 
If the reference is to the Papacy, this 
would consist in corruptions already 
existing in the Church, having a re- 
semblance to those which afterward 
existed under that system, or which 
were the germ of that system. If there 
was a tendency toward the concentra- 
tion of all power in an individual in 
the Church; if there was an assump- 
tion of authority by one class of min- 
isters above another; if there was a 
denial of the "parity of the clergy," 
the tendency would have been to that 
ultimate assumption of authority 
which is found in the Romish hie- 
rarchy. But conjecture is useless as 
to what was the precise form in which 
this tendency then began to develop 
itself. That corruptions early existed 
in the Church, which terminated in the 
Papacy, and which led on directly to 
it, we know ; that the apostle was able 
to foresee and predict such a final de- 



84 



II. THESSALGNIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



doth already a work : only lie who 
now letteth, will let, until he be 
taken out of the way. 

a 1 John 4. 3. 

velopment, shows that he was under 
the influence of inspiration. It is not 
known precisely what is referred to by 
the phrase "what withholdeth," to 
KaTtx ov ' The phrase means properly 
something that holdsback, or restrains. 
The word here is in the neuter gender, 
" What withholdeth." In the follow- 
ing verse it is in the masculine gender, 
6 KaTtxw — u he that letteth," orwith- 
holdeth ; and the reference would seem 
to be to some agency or state of things 
under the control of an individual, or 
of some civil power, that then operated 
as a restraint on the natural tendency 
of things. Of this, the apostle says, 
they had had full information ; but we 
can only conjecture what it was. The 
restraining power of any individual, or 
of any government, or of God, w 7 ould 
meet all that the phrase implies. The 
most natural interpretation is that 
which refers it to civil power, mean- 
ing that there was something in the 
form of the existing administration 
which would prevent this develop- 
ment until that restraint should be 
removed. The supposition that there 
was even then a tendency to concen- 
trate all ecclesiastical power at Rome, 
and that while the civil authority re- 
mained there it would not suffer ec- 
clesiastical power to grow to the ex- 
orbitant height which it ultimately 
reached, will meet all that is implied 
in the language. ^ That he might be 
revealed in his time. The u man of sin." 
The meaning is, that there was then 
a restraint operating winch would pre- 
vent the development of this anti- 
christian power until the proper time; 
that is, till the state of the world 
should be such that in the divine ar- 
rangements it w r ould be proper to per- 
mit it. It w r as not to be developed 
until the Gospel should be extensively 
preached, and had had an opportunity 
of showing its fair effects on the na- 
tions; until the Gospel had become 
so planted and established that even 
the rise of this antichristian power 
could not effectually uproot it. Had 
the "man of sin" been permitted to 
rise at once, the consequence might 
have been that the new religion would 
have been crushed, so that it could 
never have revived again. There was 



8 And then shall that Wicked be 
revealed, whom the Lord shall h 
consume with the spirit of his 

b Dan. 7. 10,11. clsa.11.4. Rev. 19. 15, 21. 

a providential arrangement by which 
this growth of wickedness should be 
checked and restrained until the new 
religion should take deep root in the 
earth, and its perpetuity should be se- 
cured. Then the great trial was to be 
permitted under the "man of sin." 

7. For the mystery of iniquity. On the 
meaning of the word mystery, see 
Notes on Rom. xi. 25. Comp. f Cor. 
ii. 7; Eph. i. 9; iii. 3; Col. i. 26. It 
means properly that which is hidden 
or concealed; not necessarily that 
winch is unintelligible. The "mystery 
of iniquity" seems here to refer to 
some hidden or concealed depravity — 
some form of sin which was working 
secretly and silently, and which had 
not yet developed itself. Any secret 
sources of iniquity in the Church; any 
thing that tended to corrupt its doc- 
trines, and to destroy the simplicity 
of the faith of the Gospel, would cor- 
respond with the meaning of the word. 
Doddridge correctly supposes that 
this may refer to the pride and ambi- 
tion of some ministers ; the factious 
temper of some Christians ; the im- 
posing of unauthorized severities ; the 
worship of angels, etc. f Both already 
ivork. There are elements of these 
corruptions already existing in the 
Church. Bishop Newton maintains 
that the foundations of Popery were 
laid in the apostle's days, and that the 
superstructure w r as raised by degrees; 
and this is entirely in accordance with 
the statements of the apostle Paul. 
In his own time, he says, there 
were things which, if not restrained, 
would expand and ripen into that 
apostas} 7 . He has not told us partic- 
ularly to what he refers, but there are 
several intimations in his writings, as 
well as in other parts of the New Tes- 
tament, that even in the apostolic age 
there existed the elements of those 
corruptions which were afterward de- 
veloped and embodied in the Papac}\ 
Even "then," says Bishop Newton, 
" idolatry was stealing into the Church 
(1 Cor. x. 14), and a voluntary humility 
and worshiping of angels." Col. ii. 
18. [See, however, my Note on that 
passage.] "There existed strife and 
divisions (1 Cor. iii. 3), an adulterating 
and handling the Word of God deceit- 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



85 



fully (2 Cor. ii. 17; iv. 2), a gain of god- 
liness, teaching of things for filthy 
lucre's sake (1 Tim. vi. 5 ; Titus i. 11), 
a Tain observation of festivals (Gal. iv. 
10), a vain distinction of meats (1 Cor. 
viii. 8), a neglecting of the body (Col. 
ii. 23), traditions, and commandments, 
and doctrines of men (Col. ii. 8-22)." 
Compare 3 John 9: " Diotrephes, who 
loveth to have the pre-eminence." 
These things constituted the elements 
of the corruptions which were after- 
ward developed in the Papacy, and 
which are embodied in that system. 
An eye that could see all w r ould even 
then have perceived that, if there were 
no restraint, these incipient corrup- 
tions would grow r up into that system, 
and would, be expanded into the er- 
rors and arrogant claims which have 
ever characterized it. Comp. 1 John 
iv. 3. Only he who now letteth. Who 
now hinders, or restrains — 6 kcltIx***"- 
This is the same word which is used 
inver. 6, and rendered " withholdeth," 
except that it is there in the neuter 
gender. There can be no doubt that 
there is reference to the same restrain- 
ing power, or the same power under 
the control of an individual; but what 
that was, is not quite certain. It was 
some power which operated as a check 
on the growifig corruptions then ex- 
isting, and which prevented their full 
development, but which was to be re- 
moved at no distant period, and whose 
removal would give an opportunity 
for the development of those corrup- 
tions, and. for the full revelation of the 
"man of sin." The supposition that 
the civil power of Rome was such a 
restraint, operating to prevent the as- 
sumption of the ecclesiastical claims 
of supremacy which afterward charac- 
terized the Papacy, will correspond 
with all that is necessarily implied in 
the language. H Will let, until he be 
taken out of the way. This will be an 
effectual check on these corruptions, 
preventing their full development, 
until it is removed, and then the 
" man of sin" will appear. The sup- 
position which will best suit this lan- 
guage is, that there was then some 
civil restraint preventing the develop- 
ment of existing corruptions, but that 
there would be a removal or with- 
drawing of that restraint; and that 
then the tendency of the existing cor- 
ruptions would be seen. It is evident, 
as Olshausen remarks, that this re- 
sisting or restraining power must be 



something out of the Church, and dis- 
tinguished from the antichristian 
tendency itself: von der Kirche und 
vom Antichristenthum. It is neces- 
sary, therefore, to understand this of 
•the restraints of civrl power. Was 
there, then, any fact in history wiiich 
will accord with this interpretation ? 
The belief among the primitive Chris- 
tians w T as that what hindered the rise 
of the "man of sin" was the Roman 
empire, and therefore "they prayed 
for its peace and welfare, as knowing 
that w T hen the Roman empire should 
be dissolved and broken in pieces, the 
empire of the 'man of sin' w r ould be 
raised on its ruins." — Bishop Newton* 
How this revolution was effected may 
be seen by the statement of Machiavel. 
"The emperor of Rome, quitting 
Rome to dwell at Constantinople" (in 
the fourth century, under Constan- 
tine), "the Roman empire began to 
decline, but the Church of Rome aug- 
mented as fast. Nevertheless, until 
the coming in of the Lombards, all 
Italy being under the dominion of 
either emperors or kings, the bishops 
assumed no more power than what was 
due to their doctrine and manners; in 
civil affairs they were subject to the 
civil power. ButTheodoric,kingofthe 
Goths, fixing his seat at Ravenna, was 
that which advanced their interest, 
and made them more considerable in 
Italy, for there being no other prince 
left in Rome, the Romans w 7 ere forced 
for protection to pay greater alle- 
giance to the Pope. The Lombards 
having invaded and reduced Italy into 
several cantons, the Pope took the op- 
portunity, and began to hold up his 
head. For being, as it were, governor 
and principal of Rome, the emperor 
of Constantinople and the Lombards 
bare him a respect, so that the Ro- 
mans (by mediation of their Pope), 
began to treat and confederate with 
Longinus [the emperor's lieutenant] 
and the Lombards, not as subjects, 
but as equals and companions ; which 
said custom continuing, and the Pope's 
entering into alliance sometimes with 
the Lombards, and sometimes with 
the Greeks, contracted great reputa- 
tion to their dignity." {Hist of Flor- 
ence, bk. i., p. 6,' of the English.transla- 
tion.) A more extended quotation on 
the same subject may be seen in New- 
ton, On the Prophecies, p. 407, 408. 
To any one acquainted with the de- 
cline and fall of the Roman empire, 







86 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



mouth, and shall destroy 05 with 
the brightness of his coming. 

a Heb. 10. 27. 

nothing can be more manifest than 
the correspondence of the facts in his- 
tory respecting the rise of the Papacy, 
and the statement of the apostle Paul 
here. The simple facts are these. (1.) 
There were early corruptions in the 
Church at Rome, as there were else- 
where, but peculiarly there, as Rome 
was the seat of philosophy and of 
power. (2.) There were great efforts 
made by the bishop of Rome to in- 
crease his authority, and there was a 
steady approximation to what he sub- 
sequently claimed — that of being uni- 
versal bishop. (3.) There was a con- 
stant tendency to yield to him defer- 
ence and respect in all things, (4.) This 
was kept in check as long as Rome 
was the seat of the imperial power. 
Had Rome continued to be the cap- 
ital of the empire, it would have been 
impossible for the Roman bishop ever 
to have obtained the civil and eccle- 
siastical eminence which he ultimately 
did. The capital could not have had 
two heads, both claiming and exercis- 
ing supreme power; and there never 
could have been a "revelation of the 
man of sin." (5.) Constan tine removed 
the seat of empire to Constantinople ; 
and this removal or "taking away" 
of the only restraint on the ambitious 
projects of the Roman bishops, gave 
all the opportunity which could be 
desired for the growth of the Papal 
power. In all history there can not, 
probably, be found a series bf events 
corresponding more accurately with 
a prophetic statement than this ; and 
there is every evidence, therefore, that 
these are the events to which the 
apostle here refers, and that, therefore, 
he was inspired. 

8. And then shall that Wicked be re- 
vealed. 6 avoixo? — "the wicked one," 
referring to the "man of sin," and 
called " the wicked one" because of 
the eminent depravity of the system 
of which he was to be the head. See 
Notes on ver. 3. ^ Whom the Lord shall 
consume. The Lord Jesus. See Notes 
on Acts i. 24. The word consume here 
— dvaXwoEL — means to destroy. See 
Gal. v. 15; Luke ix. 54. The word 
would be applicable to any kind of 
destruction. The methods by which 
this would be done are immediately 
specified— and it is of much impor- 



9 Even him, whose coming is aft- 
er the working of Satan, with all 



tance to understand them, if this refers 
to the Papacy. If With the spirit of his 
mouth. What goes out of his mouth, 
or what he speaks ; that is, his word, 
his truth, his command, or his Gospel — 
all of which, may be regarded as speak- 
ing. In Rev. i. 16; xix. 15-21, it is said 
of the Redeemer that "a sharp two- 
edged sword goeth out of his mouth;" 
that is, his word, his doctrine, or his 
command-w/t^ he speaks — is like a 
sharp sword. It will cut deep ; it will 
lay open the heart ; it will destroy his 
enemies. " This appears to be an al- 
lusion to (although not an exact quo- 
tation of) Isa. xi. 4: ' With the breath 
of his lips he shall destroy the impious 
man.' (Sept. version.) In the Tar- 
gum Jonathan, this prophecy (which 
was probably in St. Paul's thoughts) 
is applied to the Messiah's coming, 

and 'the impious,' 3^*1 (aarsprj, Sept.), 

is interpreted to mean an individual 
Antichrist." — Conybeare and Howson, 
vol. i., 404. The reference in the pas- 
sage before us is to one of the methods 
which would be employed to " de- 
stroy" the man of sin; and the sense 
is, that it would be by what is spoken 
by the Redeemer. This, so far as the 
language is concerned, may refer either 
to what he will say at his coming, or to 
his truth already spoken or revealed; 
to what will proceed from his mouth, 
or to what has proceeded from his 
mouth ; to what will go from his own 
lips, or to what has gone from his 
lips, by whomsoever uttered ; and the 
meaning, as thus explained, is that one 
of the grand agencies for destroying 
this antichristian power is the truth 
spoken or revealed by the. Saviour. 
The passage would thus be applicable 
to any method or time when that 
truth might be employed in what 
would properly be called " the bright- 
ness of his coming," or the "manifes- 
tation of his appearing," in bringing 
that power to an end. The language 
might be applicable to his Second Ad- 
vent, or it might be applicable to any 
time when the Saviour would thus 
"appear," or manifest himself in the 
application of his truth. T[ And shall 
destroy. KaTapvi'iarei. Shall bring to 
naught ; cause to cease ; put an end 
to. This is, in some respects, a 



% 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



87 



stronger word than that which in the 
former part of the verse is rendered 
consume. It denotes a more entire de- 
struction than that, though it does not 
refer so much to any positive agency 
by which it will be done. In the for- 
mer word the attention is directed 
more to the agency by which the de- 
struction will be effected ; in this word 
the attention is directed rather to the 
inienseness or totality of the destruc- 
tion. The antichristian domination 
will wholly cease, or be entirely de- 
stroyed. The words, in the two forms 
in which they occur, would naturally 
harmonize with the idea that there 
would be a somewhat gradual process 
under the operation of truth toward 
the destruction of the "man of sin" — - t 
represented by the expression, "Shall 
consume with the spirit of his 
mouth;" but that the complete an- 
nihilation of his power would be ac- 
complished by some more manifest ex- 
ertion of power — represented by the 
words, "Shall destroy with the bright- 
ness of his coming." Tf With the bright- 
ness of his coming. With the manifes- 
tation of his coming, or his being pres- 
ent. The Greek word rendered bright- 
ness — kir LcpccusLu — ep ip h a n y, means 
merely an appearing, or appearance. 
It occurs only in the following places 
in the New Testament, in all of which, 
except in the passage before us, it is 
rendered appearing, and in all of which 
it refers to the Saviour: 1 Tim. vi.14; 
2 Tim. i. 10; iv. 1; Titus ii. 13. The 
idea of brightness, of splendor, of glory, 
is not in the word, nor is there in the 
word any such idea as our common 
translation would seem to convey as 
that of dazzling light, or insufferable 
splendor, that would consume all be- 
fore it. In one of the passages where 
the word occurs (Titus ii. 13), the idea 
of glory is added— Itt lyavmav tti<s S6£irs 
— "glorious appearing ;" but the idea 
is in no sense in the word rendered 
there appearing and here brightness. 
The word rendered coming — irapovaia, 
parousia — means the being or becoming 
present. (Uob.,Lex.). In the New Tes- 
tament it is rendered coming in Matt, 
xxiv. 3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. xv. 23; xvi. 
17; 2 Cor. vii. 6; Phil. i. 26; 1 Thess. 
ii. 19; iii.13; iv.15; v. 23; 2 Thess. ii. 
1, 8, 9; James v. 7, 8 ; 2 Pet. i. 16 ; iii. 
4-12; 1 John ii. 28; and presence in 2 
Cor. x. 10; Phil. ii. 12. In all these 
places, except in 1 Cor. xvi. 17 ; 2 Cor. 
vii. 6, 7; x. 10; Phil. i. 26; ii. 12; 2 



Thess. ii. 1-9, it refers to some com- 
ing of the Saviour. The word does 
not elsewhere occur in the New Tes- 
tament. It would undoubtedly refer 
to some manifestation that might be 
called the appearing or the presence of 
the Saviour; some coming on his part 
to do what was done by his own agen- 
cy. It would not be necessarily im- 
plied, however, that this would be 
visible, or that it would be attended 
by any visible symbols of glory or 
splendor. What was done would be 
attributed to the fact that he had 
come, or was present to accomplish it 
by his own power. The agency in 
doing it would not be his brightness, 
but himself. It may be remarked, 
then, in view of this explanation, (1.) 
that truth — that which is spoken by 
the Saviour, or which has proceeded 
out of his mouth — will be an impor- 
tant means of weakening or destroying 
this power of the "man of sin." (2.) 
That the complete and final destruc- 
tion of this power will be reserved for 
some display or manifestation of the 
Saviour that might be properly de- 
cribed as his "coming,'''' or as a man- 
ifestation of himself. (3.) That this 
coming or manifestation does not nec- 
essarily refer to his last appearing, or 
to his second visible advent to our 
world to raise the dead and judge 
mankind, but may be any remarkable 
manifestation of himself before that, 
and even before the commencement 
of his millennial reign. It is true, in- 
deed, that the word here used and ren- 
dered coming — irapovaia — commonly 
refers to his coming to wind up hu- 
man affairs, as in 1 Cor. xv. 23 ; 1 Thess. 
ii. 19; iii. 13; iv. 15; James v. 7, 8; 1 
John ii. 28 ; but it is also true that in 
Matt. xxiv. it does not necessarily im- 
ply this, but is rather, in an important 
sense, to be referred to his coming to 
destroy J erusalem ; and it is here, also, 
that the corresponding wo^, or a 
word which is often employed to de- 
note his coming — Zpxo/uLai, erchomai — is 
applicable to any approach which he 
may make to individuals or to nations, 
by death, by calamity, by his incarna- 
tion, or for consolation. Matt. v. 17; 
xi. 3-19 ; xxiii. 35 ; xxiv. 44 ; Luke ix. 
56; xii. 40; John vii. 31 ; xi. 27; xiv. 
18-23, etc. (4.) Any manifestation of 
himself, or of his power, that would 
destroy, the empire of the "man of 
sin" previous to the beginning of the 
millennium, or before his final advent 



88 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



power and signs and lying won- 
ders, 



to judge the world, would be a fulfill- 
ment of what is fairly implied in the 
language here used. (5.) It may be 
assumed, as the Bible is one book, in- 
spired by the same divine Spirit, that 
the same idea on the same subject 
will be presented whenever it is al- 
luded to, though not, of course, always 
in the same words, or with the same 
fullness of detail, and, therefore, the 
description in one part, if more ample, 
may be referred to to illustrate the 
meaning in another. On this princi- 
ple, as the book of Revelation is the 
last portion of the revelation that God 
has given to mankind, and as it is 
mainly occupied in describing future 
scenes — the consummation of human 
affairs— it may be proper to refer to 
that as containing a more full develop- 
ment of the idea here suggested by 
the apostle in few words. The de- 
struction of the "man of sin" — the Pa- 
pacy — occupies no inconsiderable por- 
tion of that volume, and is described 
with great particularity. The state- 
ment there, as found in the latter part 
of ch. xvi., and chs. xvii., xviii., xix., is 
substantially that the two great powers 
of the Papacy and Mohammedanism 
will be destroyed before the scenes 
which are described in the twentieth 
chapter, and that after those powers 
are destroyed there will be the peace- 
ful scene of a" thousand years" when 
"Satan shall be bound;" or, that at 
the beginning of that period, both 
those powers shall have been annihi- 
lated, and that Satan will be bound. 
What is material to the point now be- 
fore us is, that the destruction of the 
Papacy — the " man of sin" — as well as 
the destruction of the Mohammedan 
power, will be accomplished by some 
manifestation or going forth of the 
Son of God ; some appearing of him- 
self as the great agent in accomplish- 
ing this work. Rev. xvii. 14; xix. 11- 
21. I regard that description drawn 
out by John as a full illustration of 
the idea here suggested in so brief a 
manner by the apostle Paul. See 
Notes on Rev. xvi.-xx. 

9. Even him, whose coming is after the 
working of Satan. Gr.,/c trr' ivipyuav 
tou SaTaya — according to the energy of 
Satan; that is, the energetic or effi- 
cient operation of Satan. Comp. Eph. 



10 And with all deceivableness 
a of unrighteousness in them that 

a Heb. 3.13. 

i. 19; Col. i. 29. The word rendered 
after, it need not be said to one who 
looks at the Greek, does not refer to 
time, but is a preposition, meaning ac- 
cording to ; in conformity ivith ; mean- 
ing that the manner of his appearing 
would be accompanied by such works 
as would show that the agency of Sa- 
tan was employed, and such as lie only 
could produce. It does not mean that 
the coming of the Lord Jesus would be 
after Satan had worked in this manner, 
but that the manifestation of that 
wicked one would be with such dem- 
-onstrations of power and wonder as 
Satan only could effect. The system 
over which he presides is originated 
by Satan, and is sustained by those 
things which he alone can perform. 
On the word Satan, see Notes on Job 
i. 6. The idea is, that it would be un- 
der the direction and control of the 
great enemy of God, and that the 
things on which it would rely for sup- 
port could be traced to his agency. In 
all the pretended miracles to which 
it would appeal, there would be noth- 
ing which Satan could not accomplish. 
*ftWith all power. With all the power 
which Satan can exhibit; meaning, 
also, that there would be a great exer- 
tion of power in the case. It would 
not be a feeble and imbecile dominion. 
The dominion of the Papacy has been, 
in fact, one of the most powerful on 
earth. There has been none which 
has been more dreaded by the nations 
of the earth; and there have been 
times when nations trembled, and 
kings turned pale on their thrones, at 
the frown of the Pope. If And signs. 
This word frequently denotes real 
miracles, but not necessarily so. It 
may be applied to pretended miracles 
as well as real, and is undoubtedly so 
used here, as it is connected with 
" lying wonders," and as it is said that 
the thing wrought would be "after 
the working of Satan." There is 
doubtless reference to such "signs 
and wonders" as the Saviour men- 
tions in Matt. xxiv. 24. See Notes on 
that passage. It is hardly necessary 
to remark that the Papacy has always 
relied for support on its pretended 
miracles. Even in our own age the 
wonders performed by the Prince Ho- 
henloe, and by the pretended seamless 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



89 



perish ; because they received not 
the love a of the truth, that they 
might be saved. 

a 1 Cor. 16. 22. 

garment of the Saviour, have been 
proclaimed as true miracles, and as 
furnishing indubitable evidence of the 
truth of the Roman Catholic system. 
The dissolving of the blood of St. Jan- 
uarius; the removal of Pilate's stairs 
to Rome; and the transportation to 
Italy of the " house of our Lad}^," are 
among the miracles to which there is 
a constant reference by the Papists 
themselves. In addition to these and 
to all similar pretensions, there is the 
power claimed of performing a mir- 
acle at the pleasure of the priest by 
the change of bread and wine into the 
" body and blood, the soul and divin- 
ity" of the Lord Jesus. In 1756, there 
was published in London a book en- 
titled, "The miraculous power of the 
Church of Christ, asserted through 
each successive century, from the 
apostles down to the present time." 
The power of working miracles has 
been one of the standing claims of the 
Papacy. If And lying wonders. False 
or pretended miracles. They would 
be such as would be claimed to be 
miracles; such as would excite won- 
der ; yet such as were false and delu- 
sive. No Protestant assuredly needs 
to be convinced that this is just the 
character of the pretended miracles 
of the Papacy. It would be impos- 
sible for language to describe them 
more clearty, in the apprehension of 
all Protestants, than is done in this 
language of the apostle Paul. 

10. And with all deceivableness of un- 
righteousness. With all the delusions 
of unrighteousness. There are two 
ideas here. The first is that there 
would be deceit ; and the other is that 
it would be for the purpose of pro- 
moting unrighteousness or iniquity. 
The iniquitous system would be main- 
tained by fraudulent methods. No one 
who has read Pascal's D-ovincial Let- 
ters can ever doubt that this descrip- 
tion is applicable to the S3 r stem of the 
Jesuits ; and no one familiar with the 
acts of the Papacy, as they have al- 
ways been practiced, can doubt that 
the whole system is accurately de- 
scribed by this language. The plausi- 
ble reasoning by which the advocates 
of that system have palliated and apol- 
ogized for sins of various kinds, has 



11 Aud for this cause God shall 
send them strong delusion, 6 that 
they should believe a lie : 

JEzek.14.9. Rom. 1.24. 

been among its most remarkable feat- 
ures. In them that perish. Among 
those who will perish"; that is, among 
the abandoned and wicked. The ref- 
erence is to men of corrupt minds and 
lives, over whom this system would 
have power ; countenancing them in 
their depravity, and fitting them still 
further for destruction. The idea is 
that these acts would have especial 
reference to men who would be lost at 
any rate, and who would be sustained 
in their wickedness by this false and 
delusive system. ^ Because they re- 
ceived not the love of the truth. They 
prefer this system of error and delu- 
sion to the simple and pure Gospel, by 
which they might have been saved. 

II. And for this cause. Because they 
choose error, or their hearts love that 
more than they do truth. The origi- 
nal reason of their embracing and ad- 
hering to the system was not an ar- 
bitrary decree on the part of God, but 
that they did not love the truth. Hence 
he gave'them up to this system of er- 
ror. If a man strongly prefers error 
to truth, and sin to holiness, it is not 
wrong to allow him freely to evince 
his own preference. % God shall send 
them strong delusion. Gr., u energy of 
deceit;" a Hebraism, meaning strong ■ 
deceit. The agency of God is here dis- 
tinctly recognized, in accordance with 
the uniform statements of the Scrip- 
tures respecting evil. Comp. Exod.vii. 
13; ix. 12; x. 1, 20-27; xi.10; xiv. 8; 
Deut. x. 30; Isa. xlv. 7. On the nature 
of this agency, see Notes on John xii. 
40. It is not necessary here to sup- 
pose that there was any positive influ- 
ence on the part of God in causing this 
delusion to come upon them, but all 
the force of the language will be met, 
as well as the reasoning of the apos- 
tle, by supposing that God withdrew 
all restraint, and suffered men simply 
to show that they did not love the truth. 
He often places men in circumstances 
to develop their own nature, and it 
can not be demonstrated to be wrong 
that he should do so. If men have no 
love of the truth, and no desire to be 
saved, it is not improper that they 
should be allowed to manifest this. 
How it happened that they had no 
" love of the truth" is a different ques- 



90 



II. THE S SAL ONI ANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



12 That a they all might be 
damned who believed not the 

a Deut. 32. 35. 



tion, to which the remarks of the apos- 
tle do not appertain. Comp. Notes 
on Rom. ix. 17, 18 ; i. 24. H That they 
should believe a lie. This does not af- 
firm that God wished them to believe 
a lie ; nor that he would not have 
preferred that they should believe the 
truth ; nor that he exerted any direct 
agency to cause them to believe a lie. 
It means merely that he left them, be- 
cause they did not love the truth, to 
believe what was false, and what would 
end in their destruction. Can any one 
doubt that this constantly occurs in 
the world? Men are left to believe 
impostors ; to trust to false guides ; 
to rely on unfounded information ; to 
credit those who live to delude and 
betray the innocent; to follow those 
who lead them to ruin. God does not 
interpose by direct power to preserve 
them. This is not peculiarly the doc- 
trine of revelation. The fact pertains 
just as much to the infidel as it does 
to the believer in Christianity, and he 
is just as much bound to explain it as 
the Christian is. It belongs to our 
world— to us all — and it should not 
be charged on Christianity as a doc- 
trine pertaining peculiarly to that sys- 
tem. 

12. That they all might be damned. The 
word damned we commonly apply now 
exclusively to future punishment, and 
it has a harsher signification than the 
original word. Compare Notes on 1 
Cor. xi. 29. The Greek word — Kp'ivw 
— means to judge, determine, decide ; 
and then to condemn. Rom.ii. 27; xiv. 
22; James iv. 11; John vii. 51; Luke 
xix. 22; Acts xiii. 27. It may be ap- 
plied to the judgment of the last day 
(John v. 22 ; viii. 50 ; Acts xvii. 31 ; 
Rom. iii. 6 ; 2 Tim. iv. 1), but not nec- 
essarily. The word judged, or con- 
demned, would, in this place, express all 
that the Greek word necessarity con- 
veys. Yet there can be no doubt that 
the judgment or condemnation, which is 
referred to is that which will occur 
when the Saviour will appear. It does 
not seem to me to be a necessary in- 
terpretation of this to suppose that it 
teaches that God would send a strong 
delusion that they should believe a 
lie in order that all might be damned 
who did not believe the truth, or that 
he desired that they should be damn- 



truth, but had pleasure in unright- 
eousness. 



ed, and sent this as the means of se- 
curing it ; but the sense is, that this 
course of events would be allowed to 
occur, so that (tW — not nh to) all who 
do not love the truth would be con- 
demned. The particle here used, and 
rendered "that" (iV«), in connection 
with the phrase "all might be damn- 
ed," is employed in two general senses, 
either as marking the end, purpose, or 
cause for, or on account of, which any < 
thing is done — to the end that, or in 
order that it may be so and so; or as 
marking simply the result, event, or 
upshot of an action, so that, so as that. 
(Robinson, Lex.). In the latter case it 
denotes merely that something will 
really take place, without indicating 
that such was the design of the agent, 
or that what broughtit about was in or- 
der that it might take place. It is also 
used, in the later Greek, so as neither 
to mark the purpose, nor to indicate 
that the event would occur, but mere- 
ly to point out that to which the pre- 
ceding words refer. It is not proper, 
therefore, to infer that this passage 
teaches that all these things would be 
brought about in the arrangements of # 
Providence, in order that they might 
be damned who came under their in- 
fluence. The passage teaches that such 
would be the result ; that the connec- 
tion between these delusions and the 
condemnation of those who were de- 
luded, would be certain. It can not 
be proved from the Scriptures that 
God sends on men strong delusions in 
order that they may be damned. No 
such construction should be put on a 
passage of Scripture if it can be avoid- 
ed, and it can not be shown that it is 
necessary here. *U Who believed not the 
truth. The grounds or reasons why 
they would be damned are now stated. 
One would be that they did not be- 
lieve the truth — not that God sent 
upon them delusion in order that the} 7 
might be damned. That men will be 
condemned for not believing the truth, 
and that it will be right thus to con- 
demn them, is every where the doc- 
trine of the Scriptures, and is equally 
the doctrine of common -sense. See 
Notes on Mark xvi. 16. H But hadpleas- 
ure i?i unrighteousness. This is the sec- 
ond ground or reason of their con- 
demnation. If men have pleasure in 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



91 



13 But we a are bound to give 
thanks alway to God for you, 
brethren beloved of the Lord, be- 
cause God hath from the begin- 
ning chosen b you to salvation 
through sanctitication of the Spir- 
it and belief of the truth ; 

ac. 1.3. 6 Eph. 1.4. IThess. 1.4. 1 Pet. 1.2. 

sin, it is proper that they should be 
punished. There can be no more just 
ground of condemnation than that a 
man loves to do wrong. 

13. But we are hound to give thanks al- 
way to God for you. See Notes on eh. 
i. 3. Tf Because God hath from the be- 
ginning chosen you to salvation. The 
following important things are affirm- 
ed or implied here : (1.) That God had 
chosen or elected them (ctXero) to salva- 
tion. The doctrine of election, there- 
fore, is true. (2.) That this was from 
the beginning (air' &pxv*)'i that is, from 
eternity. See Notes on John i. 1; Eph. 
i. 4; iii. 9-11. The doctrine of eternal 
election is, therefore, true. (3.) That 
this was the choice of the persons to 
whom Paul referred. The doctrine of 
personal election is, therefore, true. 
(4.) That this is a reason for thanks- 
giving. Why should.it not be? Can 
there be any higher ground of praise 
or gratitude than that God has chosen 
us to be holy and happy forever, and 
that he has from eternity designed that 
we should be so ? Whatever, there- 
fore, may be the feelings With which 
those who are not chosen to salvation 
regard this doctrine, it is clear that 
those who have evidence that they are 
chosen should make it a subject of 
grateful praise. They can have no 
more exalted source of gratitude than 
that they arc chosen to eternal life. 
If Through sauctification of the Spirit. 
Being made holy by the divine Spirit. 
It is not without respect to character, 
but it is a choice to holiness and then 
to salvation. No one can have evi- 
dence that he is chosen to salvation 
except as he has evidence that he is 
sanctified by the Spirit. See Notes on 
Eph. i. 4. If And belief of the truth. In 
connection with believing the truth. 
No one who is not a believer in the 
truth can have evidence that God has 
chosen him. 

14. Whereuntohe called you by our Gos- 
pel. He made the Gospel as preached 
by us the means of calling you to sal- 
vation. That is, God has chosen you 



14 Whereunto c he called you by 
our Gospel, to the obtaining of the 
glory d of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

15 Therefore, brethren, standfast, 
and hold the traditions which ye 
have been taught, whether by 
word or our epistle. 

el Pet. 5. 10. d John 17. 22. 

to salvation from eternity, but has 
made the Gospel as preached by us the 
means of carrying that eternal purpose 
into effect. If To the obtaining of the 
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. That 
you may partake of the same glory as 
the Saviour in heaven. See Notes on 
John xvii. 22-24. 

15. Therefore. In view of the fact 
that you are thus chosen from eterni- 
iy, and that you are to be raised up to 
such honor and glory, 1" Stand fast. 
Amid all the temptations which sur- 
round you. Comp. Notes on Eph. vi. 
10-14. If And hold the traditions which 
ye have been taught. On the word tra- 
ditions, see Notes on Matt. xv. 2. Com- 
pare Notes on 1 Cor. xi. 2. It means, 
properly, things delivered over from 
one to another; then any thing orally 
delivered — any precept, doctrine, or 
law handed down from one generation 
to another without being written. It 
is frequently employed to denote that 
which is not written, as contradistin- 
guished from that which is written 
(compare Matt. xv. 2), but not neces- 
sarily or always ; for here the apostle 
speaks of the" 4 ' traditions which they 
had been taught by h is epistle. 5 ' Comp. 
Notes on 1 Cor. xi. 2. Here it means 
the doctrines or precepts which they 
had received from the apostle, wheth- 
er when he was with them, or after he 
left them ; whether communicated by 
preaching or by letter. This passage 
can furnish no authority for holding 
the "traditions" which have come 
down from ancient times, and which 
profess to have been derived from the 
apostles ; for (1.) there is no evidence 
that any of those traditions were giv- 
en by the apostles ; (2.) many of them 
are manifestly so trifling, false, and 
contrary to the writings of the apos- 
tles that they could not have been de- 
livered by them ; (3.) if any of them 
are genuine, it is impossible to sepa- 
rate them from those which are false; 
(4.) we have all that is necessary for 
salvation in the written word; and (5.) 
there is not the least evidence that 



92 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ 
himself, and God even our Fa- 
ther, which a hath loved us, and 
hath given us everlasting COnSO^l- 
cs John 13. 1. Rev. 1.5. 



the apostle here meant to refer to any 
such thing. He speaks only of what 
had been delivered to them by himself 
whether orally or by letter; not of 
what was delivered from one to anoth- 
er as from him. There is no intima- 
tion that they were to hold any thing 
as from him which they had not re- 
ceived directly from him, either by his 
own instructions personally or by let- 
ter. With what propriety, then, can 
this passage be adduced to prove that 
we are to hold the traditions which 
professedly come to us through a 
great number of intermediate persons ? 
Where is the evidence that the Church 
was to hold those unwritten traditions 
and transmit them to future times ? 
Tf Whether by word. By preaching, wh en 
we were with you. It does not mean 
that he had sent any oral message to 
them by a third person. ^ Or our epis- 
tle. The former letter which he had 
written to them. 

16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself. 
This expression is equivalent to say- 
ing, "I pray our Lord Jesus Christ, and 
God our Father, to comfort you." It 
is really a prayer offered to the Sav- 
iour — a recognition of Christ as the 
source of consolation as well as the 
Father ; a union of his name with that 
of the Father in invoking important 
blessings. It is such language as could 
be used only by one who regarded the 
Lord Jesus as divine. *ff And God even 
our Father. Gr.," And God, and (/cat) 
our Father;" though not incorrectly 
rendered "even our Father." If it 
should be contended that the use of the 
word "and" — "our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and God" — proves that the Lord Jesus 
is a different being from God, the use 
of the same word "and" would prove 
that the "Father" is a different being 
from God. But the truth is, the apostle 
meant to speak of the Father and the 
Son as the common source of the bless- 
ing for which he prayed. 1 Which 
hath loved us. Referring particularly to 
the Father. The love which is refer- 
red to is that manifested in redemp- 
tion, or which is shown us through 
Christ. See John iii. 16; 1 John iv. 



tion and good hope 6 through 

grace, 

17 Comfort your hearts, and stab- 
lish you in every good word and 
work. 

b 1 Pet. 1.3. 



9. U And hath given us everlasting con- 
solation. Not temporary comfort, but 
that which will endure forever. The 
joys of religion are not like other joj^s. 
They soon fade away ; they always 
terminate at death ; they cease when 
trouble comes— when sickness invades 
the frame, when wealth or friends de- 
part, when disappointment lowers, 
when the senses by age refuse to min- 
ister as they once did to our pleas- 
ures. The comforts of religion depend 
on no such contingencies. They live 
through all these changes ; they at- 
tend us in sickness, in poverty, in be- 
reavement, in losses, and in age ; they 
are with us in death ; and the} 7 are per- 
petuated forever beyond the grave. 
IT And good hope through grace. See 
Notes on Rom. v. 2-5 ; Heb. vi. 19. 

17. Comfort your hearts. See Notes 
on 1 Thess. iii. 2 ; v. 11, 14. The Thes- 
salonians were in the midst of trials, 
and Paul -prayed that they might have 
the full consolations of, their religion. 
^ And stablish you. Make you firm 
and steadfast. 1 Thess. iii. 2, 13. U In 
every good word and work. In every 
true doctrine, and in the practice of 
every virtue. 

This chapter is very important in 
reference to the rise of that great an- 
tichristian power which has exerted, 
and which still exerts, so baleful an 
influence over the world, Assuming 
now that it refers to the Papacy, in 
accordance with the exposition which 
has been given, there are a few impor- 
tant reflections to which it gives rise. 

(1.) The Second Advent or appear- 
ing of the Redeemer in our world is 
an event which is distinctly predicted 
in the Scriptures. This is assumed in 
this chapter; and though Paul cor- 
rects some errors into which the Thes- 
salonians had fallen, he does not sug- 
gest this as one of them. Their error 
was in regard to the time of his ap- 
pearing, not the fact. 

(2.) The time when he will appear is 
not made known to men. The apos- 
tles did n&t pretend to designate it, 
nor did the Saviour himself. Matt, 
xxiv. 36 ; Mark xiii. 32 ; Acts i. 7. 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER II. 



93 



(3.) The course of reasoning in this I 
chapter would lead to the expecta- ! 
tion that a considerable time must j 
elapse before the Saviour would ap- j 
pear. The apostles, therefore, did not 
believe that the end of the world was 
near, and they did not teach false doc- 
trine on the subject, as infidels have 
often alleged. No one, who attentive- 
ly and candidly studies this chapter, 
it seems to me, can suppose that Paul 
believed that the Second Advent of 
the Saviour would occur within a 
short time, or during the generation 
when he lived. He has described a 
long series of events which were to 
intervene before the Saviour would 
appear—events which, if the interpre- 
tation which has been given is cor- 
rect, have been in fact in a process 
of development from that time to the 
present, and which, it must have been 
foreseen, even then, w r ould require a 
long period before they would be com- 
pleted. There was to be a great apos- 
tasy. There were at that time subtle 
causes at work which would lead to 
it. Those causes were, however, then 
held in check and restrained by some 
foreign influence. But the time would 
come when that foreign force would 
be withdrawn. Then those hidden 
and restrained corruptions would de- 
velop themselves into this great anti- 
christian power. That power would 
sustain itself by a series of pretended 
miracles and lying wonders, and after 
all this would be'the second coming 
of the Son of man. But this would 
require time. Such a series of events 
would not be completed in a day, or 
in a single generation. It would re- 
quire a succession — perhaps a long 
succession — of years before the de- 
velopments would be complete. It 
is clear, therefore, that the apostle did 
not hold that the Lord Jesus would 
return in that age, and that he did not 
mean to be understood as teaching it; 
and consequently it should not be said 
that he or his fellow - apostles were 
mistaken in the statements which 
they have recorded respecting the 
second coming of the Lord Jesus, and 
the end of the world. 

(4.) The apostle Paul was inspired. 
He has recorded in this chapter a dis- 
tinct prediction of an important se- 
ries of events which were to occur at 
a future, and most of them at quite a 
remote period. They were such that 
they could have been foreseen by no 



natural sagacity, and by no human 
skill. There were, indeed, corruptions 
existing then in the Church, but no 
mere natural sagacity could have fore- 
seen that they would grow up into 
that enormous system which would 
overshadow the Christian world, and 
live for so many ages. 

(5.) If these predictions refer to the 
Papacy, we may see how we are to re- 
gard that system of religion. The 
simple inquiry, if this interpretation 
is correct, is, how did the apostle Paul 
regard that system to ivhich he referred? 
Did he consider it to be the true 
Church ? Did he regard it as a Church 
at all ? The language which he uses 
will enable us easily to answer these 
questions. He speaks of it as "the 
apostasy;" he speaks of the head of 
that system as " the man of sin," "the 
son of perdition," " the wicked one," 
and as "opposing and exalting him- 
self above all that is called God;" he 
says that his "coming is after the 
working of Satan, with lying wonders, 
and with all deceivableness of unright- 
eousness." Can it be believed then 
that he regarded this as a true Church 
of Jesus Clirist? Are these the char- 
acteristics of the Church as laid down 
elsewhere in the Scriptures ? Wher- 
ever it may lead, it seems clear to me 
that the apostle did not regard that 
system of which he spoke as having 
any of the marks of a true Church, 
and the only question which can be 
raised on this point is whether the 
fair interpretation of the passage de- 
mands that it shall be considered as 
referring to the Papacy. Protestants 
believe that it must be so understood, 
and Papists have not yet disproved 
the reasons which they allege for their 
belief. 

(6.) If this is the fair interpretation, 
then we may see what is the value of 
the pretended "succession" of the 
ministry through that system. If 
such a regular "succession" of min- 
isters from the apostles could be made 
out, what would it be worth ? What 
is the value of a spiritual descent from 
Pope Alexander VI. ? How would it 
increase the proper respect for the 
ministerial office, if it could be proved 
to be derived in a right line from those 
monsters of incest, ambition, covet- 
ousness, and blood who have occu- 
pied the Papal throne ? A Protestant 
minister should blush and hang his 
head if it were charged on him that he 



94 



II. THESSALONIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



held his office by no better title than 
such a derivation. Much less should 
he make it a matter of glorying, and 
an argument to prove that he only is 
an authorized minister, that he has 
received his office through such 
men. 

(7.) From this chapter we may see 
the tendency of human nature to de- 
generacy. The elements of that great 
and corrupt apostasy existed even in 
apostolic times. Those elements 
grew regularly up into the system of 
the Papacy, and spread blighting and 
death over the whole Christian world. 
It is the tendency of human nature to 
corrupt the best things. The Chris- 
tian Church was put in possession of 
a pure, and lovely, and glorious sys- 
tem of religion. It was a religion 
adapted to elevate and save the race. 
There was not an interest of human- 
ity which it would not have fostered 
and promoted ; there was not a source 
of human sorrow which it would not 
have mitigated or relieved ; there were 
none of the race whom it would not 
have elevated and purified. Its influ- 
ence, as far as it was seen, was uni- 
formly of the happiest kind. It did 
no injury any where, but produced 
only good. But how soon was it vol- 
untarily exchanged for the worst form 
of superstition and error that has ever 
brooded in darkness over mankind ! 
How soon did the light fade, and how 
rapidly did it become more obscure, 
until it well-nigh went out altogeth- 
er ! And with what tenacity did the 
world adhere to the. system that grew 
up under the great apostasy, main- 
taining it by learning, and power, and 
laws, and dungeons, and racks, and 
fagots! What a comment is this on 
human nature, thus u loving darkness 
more than light," and error rather 
than truth ! 

(8.) The chapter teaches the impor- 
tance of resisting error at the begin- 
ning. These errors had their founda- 
tion in the time of the apostles. They 
were then comparatively small, and 
perhaps to many they appeared un- 
important ; and yet the whole Papal 
system was but the development of 
errors, the germs of which existed in 
their days. Had these been crushed, 
as Paul wished to crush them, the 
Church would have been saved from 
the corruption, the woes, and the per- 
secutions produced by the Papacy. 
So error now should always be op- 



posed — no matter how small or un- 
important it may appear. We have 
no right to connive at it ; to patron- 
ize it ; to smile upon it. The begin- 
nings of evil are always to be resisted 
with firmness ; and if that is done, 
the triumph of truth will be certain. 

(9.) The Church is safe. It has now 
passed through every conceivable 
form of trial, and still survives, and is 
now more vigorous and flourishing 
than it ever was before. It has pass- 
ed through fiery times of persecution ; 
it has survived the attempts of em- 
perors and kings to destroy it ; it has 
lived while the system of error de- 
scribed here by the apostle Paul has 
thrown its baleful shade over almost 
the whole Christian world. It can 
not reasonably be supposed that it 
will be called to pass through such 
trials again as it has already endured ; 
but whether it does or not, the past 
history of the Church is a guarantee 
that it will survive all that it is des- 
tined to encounter in the future. None 
but a religion of divine origin could 
have continued to live amid so many 
corruptions, and so many attempts to 
destroy it ; and in the view of the 
past history of that Church it is im- 
possible not to come to the conclu- 
sion that it has been founded by God 
himself. 

CHAPTER III. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter is made up of exhorta- 
tions and directions in regard to the 
performance of various Christian du- 
ties. 

(1.) The apostle asks their prayers. 
Vs. 1, 2. He desires them to pray par- 
ticularly that the true religion might 
be prospered, and that, in preaching 
the Gospel, he might be delivered 
from the opposition of unreasonable 
and wicked men. 

(2.) He expresses confidence that 
God would incline them to do what 
was right, and prays that he would 
keep their hearts in his love, and in 
patient waiting for the Saviour. 
Ver. 3-5. 

(3.) He commands them to remove 
from their number those who were 
disorderly, and especially those who 
were idle, and addresses an earnest 
exhortation to this class, that they 
would be diligently engaged in the 
prosecution of the business of their 
appropriate callings. Ver. 6-12. 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER III. 



95 



CHAPTER III. 

FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, 
that the word of the Lord 



(4.) He exhorts tlieni not to be 
weary in doing well. Ver. 13. 

(5. ) He directs that if any one should 
-not obey the commands given in this 
epistle, he should be noted, and they 
were to separate themselves from him. 
Yet they were not to regard him as 
an enemy, but to admonish him as a 
brother. Vs. 14, 15. 

(6.) The epistle closes with the usu- 
al salutations. Ver. 16-18. 

1. Finally brethren, pray for us. That 
is, for Paul, Silas, and Timothy, then 
engaged in arduous labors at Corinth. 
This request for the prayers of Chris- 
tians is one which Paul often makes. 
See Notes on 1 Thess. v. 25. % That 
the word of the Lord may have free 
course. That is, the Gospel. The mar- 
gin is "rim." So also the Greek. 
The idea is, that it might meet with 
no obstruction, but that it might be 
carried abroad with the rapidity of a 
racer out of whose way every hinder- 
ance was removed. The Gospel would 
spread rapidly in the earth if all the 
obstructions which men have put in 
its way were removed ; and that they 
may be removed should be one of the 
constant subjects of prayer. ^ And 
be glorified. Be honored; or appear 
glorious. ^ Even as it is with you. 
It is evident from this that Paul met 
with some obstructions in preaching 
the Gospel where he was then labor- 
ing. What they were, he mentions 
in the next verse. He was then at 
Corinth (see the Introduction), and 
the history in the Acts of the Apos- 
tles informs us of the difficulties which 
he had to encounter there. See Acts 
xviii. 

2. And that we may be delivered from 
unreasonable and wicked men. That is, 
from opposition in their endeavors to 
spread the Gospel. Paul encounter- 
ed such men every where, as all do 
who labor to diffuse the knowledge 
of the truth, but it is probable that 
there is particular reference here to 
the opposition which he encountered 
when in Corinth. This opposition 
arose mainly from the Jews. See 
Acts xviii. 5, 6, 12, 13. The word un- 
reasonable is rendered in the margin 
absurd. The Greek word (droVo?) 



may 1 have free course, and be glo- 
rified, even as it is with you : 
2 And that we may be delivered 



means, properly, out of place; then ab- 
surd, unusual, strange ; then improp- 
er, unreasonable, wicked. It is ren- 
dered in Luke xxiii. 41, amiss ; in Acts 
xxiii. 6, harm. It does not occur 
elsewhere in the New Testament. It 
refers here to men who acted amiss 
or improperly; men who were not 
found in the right place, or who had 
not the right views of things ; and 
probably does not refer so much to 
their being positively wicked or ma- 
licious, as to their putting things out of 
their proper place. They gave an un- 
due prominence to certain things, and 
less importance to others than they 
deserved. They had a distorted view 
of the value of objects, and in tena- 
cious adherence to their own ideas, 
and prosecuting their own objects to 
the exclusion of all others, they pre- 
sented a constant obstruction to the 
true Gospel. This word would ap- 
pty, and probably was designed to be 
applied, to Jewish teachers (see Acts 
xviii. 5, 6) who gave an undue promi- 
nence to the laws of Moses ; but it 
will apply to all who entertain dis- 
torted views of the relative impor- 
tance of objects, and who put things 
out of their place. Men often have a 
hobby. They give more importance to 
some object than it deserves. They, 
therefore, undervalue other objects; 
press their own with improper zeal ; 
denounce others who do not feel the 
same interest in them which they do ; 
withdraw from those who will not go 
with them in their views; form sep- 
arate parties ; and thus throw them- 
selves in the way of all who are en- 
deavoring to do good in some other 
method. It was from men who thus 
put themselves out of place that the 
apostle prayed to be delivered. H And 
wicked men. Men with bad aims and 
purposes. It is not always true that 
those who would come under the ap- 
pellation of what the apostle here 
calls ' ' unreasonable 1 ' are wicked. They 
are sometimes well-meaning but mis- 
guided men. But in this case, it 
seems, they were men of bad charac- 
ter, who were at heart opposed to 
what was good, as well as inclined to 
put things out of their place. H For 
all men have not faith. Of the truth 



96 



II. THESSALONXANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



from 1 unreasonable and wicked 
men : for all men have not faith. 

8 But the Lord a is faithful, who 
shall stablish you, and keep h you 
from evil. 

1 absurd. a 1 Cor. 1.9. b John 17. 15. 

of this, no one can doubt. The only 
question is as to its bearing on the 
case before us. Some suppose it 
means, " there are few men whom we 
can safely trust ;" others, that it means 
that they have not that " upright and 
candid disposition which would en- 
gage men to receive the testimony of 
the apostles" (Doddridge)-, others, 
that "all men do not embrace the 
Christian faith, but many oppose it" 
(Benson); and others, that "all men 
do not believe, bat the worthy only." 
— Bloom field. The connection seems 
to require us to understand it as 
meaning that all men are not pre- 
pared to embrace the Gospel. Hence 
they set themselves against it, and 
from such men Paul prayed that he 
might be delivered. Comp. 2 Tim. 
iii. 8. The state of mind in which the 
apostle was when he wrote this, seems 
to have been this : He recollected the 
readiness with which the Thessaloni- 
ans had embraced the Gospel, and the 
firmness with which they held it, and 
seems to have supposed that they 
would imagine that the same thing 
must be found true every where. But 
he says all men have not the same 
faith which they had; all were not 
prepared cordially and fully to em- 
brace the Gospel. There were unrea- 
sonable and wicked men whom he 
had encountered, from whom he pray- 
ed that he might be delivered. 

3. But the Lord is faithful. Though 
men can not be trusted, God is faith- 
ful to his promises and his purposes. 
He may always be confided in; and 
when men are unbelieving, perverse, 
unkind, and disposed to do us wrong, 
we may go to him, and we shall always 
find in him one in whom we may con- 
fide. This is an exceedingly interest- 
ing declaration, and is a beautiful il- 
lustration of the resource which a 
truly pious mind will feel that it has. 
We often have occasion to know, to 
our sorrow, that "all men have not 
faith." We witness their infidelity. 
We see how they turn away from the 
truth. We see many who once gave 
some evidence that they had "faith" 



4 And c we have confidence in the 
Lord touching you, that ye both 
do and will do the things which 
we command you. 

5 And the Lord direct d your 

c 2 Cor. 7. 16. . d 1 Chron. 29. 18. 



abandon it all; and we see many in 
the Church who seem to have no true 
faith, and who refuse to lend their aid 
in promoting the cause of religion. 
In such circumstances, the heart is 
disposed to despond, and to ask 
whether religion can be advanced in 
the midst of so much indifference and 
opposition ? At such times, how con- 
soling it is to be able to turn, as Paul 
did, to one who is faithful ; who never 
fails us ; who will certainly accom- 
plish his benevolent purposes. Men 
may be faithless and false, but God 
never is. They may refuse to embrace 
the Gospel, and set themselves against 
it, but God will not abandon his great 
purposes. Many who are in the Church 
may forget their solemn and sacred 
vows, and may show no fidelity to the 
cause of their Saviour, but God himself 
will never abandon that cause. To a 
pious mind it affords unspeakably more 
consolation to reflect that a faithful God 
is the fiend of the cause which we love, 
than it would were all men, in cfiid out 
of the Church, its friends. "H Who shall 
stablish you, and keep you from evil. 
See Notes on John xvii. 5. Compare 
Notes on Eph. vi. 16. The allusion is 
to the Evil One, or Satan, and the mean- 
ing is, that God would keep them from 
his wiles. 

4. And we have confidence in the Lord. 
Not primarily in you, for you have 
hearts like others, but in the Lord. 
It is remarkable that when Paul ex- 
presses the utmost confidence in 
Christians that they will live and act 
as becomes their profession, his reli- 
ance is not on any thing in themselves, 
but wholly on the faithfulness of God. 
He must be a stranger to the human 
heart who puts much confidence in it 
even in its best state. See Phil. i. 6 ; 
iv. 7; 2 Tim. i. 12; Jude^4; Kev. iii. 
10; Pro v. xxviii. 26. 

5. And the Lord direct your hearts into 
the love* of God. So direct your hearts 
that you may love God. Tf And into 
the patient waiting for Christ. Marg., 
patience of Christ. The marginal read- 
ing is in accordance with the Greek, 
and seems best to express the apos- 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER III. 



97 



hearts into the love of God, and 
into the 1 patient waiting for 
Christ. 

6 Now we command you, breth- 

1 or, patience of Christ. 

tie's meaning. The prayer of the 
apostle was, (1.) that they might have 
the love of God in their hearts, and 
(2.) "the patience of Christ;" that 
is, the same patience which Christ 
evinced in his trials. They were then 
suffering affliction and persecution. 
They needed patience, that they might 
endure their trials in a proper man- 
ner. It was natural for the apostle 
to refer them to the Saviour, the great 
example of patience, and to pray that 
they might have the same which he 
had. That it does not mean that they 
were to wait patiently for the appear- 
ing of Christ, as our translation seems 
to imply, is quite clear, because the 
apostle had just been showing them 
that he would not appear until after a 
long series of events had occurred. 

6. Now we command you, brethren. 
The apostle now (ver. 6-12) turns to 
an important subject — the proper 
method of treating those who were 
idle and disorderly in the Church. In 
the previous epistle he had adverted 
to this subject, but in the mild lan- 
guage of exhortation. When he wrote 
that epistle he was aware that there 
were some among them who were 
disposed to be idle, and he had ten- 
derly exhorted them "to be quiets 
and to mind their own business, and 
to work with their own hands." 1 
Thess. iv. 11. But it seems the exhor- 
tation, and the example of Paul him- 
self when there (1 Thess. ii. 9), had not 
been effectual in inducing them to be 
industrious. It became, therefore, 
necessary to use the strong language 
of command, as he does here, and to 
require that, if they would not work, 
the Church should withdraw from 
them. What the original cause of 
their idleness was is not known. There 
seems no reason, however, to doubt 
that it was much increased by their 
expectation that the Saviour would 
soon appear, and that the world would 
soon come to an end. If this was to 
be so, of what use would it be to labor? 
Why strive to accumulate property 
with reference to the wants of a fam- 
ily, or to a time of sickness, or to old 
age ? Why should a man build a house 
that was soon to be burnt up, or why 



ren, in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that ye withdraw a your- 
selves from every brother 6 that 
walketh disorderly, and not after 

a 1 Tim. 6. 5. b 1 Cor. 5. 11, 13. 

buy a farm which he was so soon to 
leave ? The effect of the expectation 
of the speedy appearing of -the Lord 
Jesus has always been to induce men 
to neglect their worldly affairs, and to 
lead idle lives. Man, naturally dis- 
posed to be idle, wants the stimulus 
of hope that he is laboring for the fut- 
ure welfare of himself, for his family, 
or for society, nor will he thus labor 
if he believes that the Saviour is about 
to appear. ^ In the 'name of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. See Notes on 1 Cor. iv. 
4. *j[ That ye withdraw yourselves. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 5. This is the true 
notion of Christian discipline. It is 
not primarily that of cutting a man 
off, or denouncing him, or excommu- 
nicating him ; it is that of withdrawing 
from him. We cease to have fellow- 
ship with him. We do not regard 
him any longer as a Christian brother. - 
We separate ourselves from him. We 
do not seek to affect him in any other 
respect ; we do not injure his name or 
standing as a man, or hold him up to rep- 
robation ; we do not follow him with 
denunciation or a spirit of revenge; 
we simply cease to recognize him as 
a Christian brother, when he shows 
that he is no longer worthy to be re- 
garded as such. We do not deliver 
him over to the civil arm ; we do not 
inflict any positive punishment on 
him ; we leave him unmolested in all 
his rights as a Citizen, a man, a neigh- 
bor, a husband, a father, and simply 
say that he is no longer one of us as a 
Christian. How different is this from 
excommunication, as it has been com- 
monly understood ! How different 
from the anathemas fulminated by 
the Papacy, and the delivering of the 
heretic over to the civil power! 
IT From every brother that walketh dis- 
orderly. Compare Notes on 1 Cor. v. 
11-13. A " disorderly Walk" denotes 
conduct that is in any way contrary 
to the rules of Christ. The proper 
idea of the word used here (aTa/cTws), 
is that of soldiers who do not keep 
the ranks ; who are regardless of or- 
der ; and then those who are irregular 
in any way. The word would include 
any violation of the rules of Christ on 
any subject. \ And not after the tradi- 



98 



II. THE S S AL ONI AN S . 



[A.D. 53. 



the tradition which ye received of 
us. 

7 For yourselves know how ye 
ought to follow us: for we be- 
haved not ourselves disorderly 
among you ; 

8 Neither did we eat any man's 
bread for nought ; but wrought a 
with labour and travail night and 
day, that we might not be charge- 
able to any of you : 

a Acts 18. 3 ; 20. 34. 5 1 Cor. 9. 6. 



Hon which ye received of us. According 
to the doctrine which we delivered to 
you. See Notes on ch. ii. .15. This 
shows that by the word ''tradition" 
the apostle did not mean umoritten 
doctrines handed down from one to 
another, for he evidently alludes to 
what he had himself taught them, and 
his direction is not that that should 
be handed down by them, but that 
they should obey it. 

7. For yourselves know how ye ought to 
follow us. You know what you should 
do in order to imitate us. For we 
behaved not ourselves disorderly among 
you. See Notes on 1 Thess. ii. 10. 

8. Neither did we eat any mart's bread 
for nought. We were not supported 
in idleness at the expense of others. 
"We gave a fair equivalent for all that 
we received, and, in fact, labored for 
our own support. See Notes on 1 
Thess. ii. 9. 

9. Not because we have not power, etc. 
See Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 6, 12-14. 

10. For even vjhen we were with you, 
this we commanded you. It would seem 
from this that the evil of which the 
apostle here complains had begun to 
operate even when he was with them. 
There were those who were disposed 
to be idle, and who needed the solemn 
command of an apostle to induce them 
to labor. ^[ That if any would not work, 
neither shoidd he eat. That is, at the 
public expense. They should not be 
supported by the Church. This was 
a maxim among the Jews (see Wet- 
stein, in loc), and the same sentiment 
may he found in Homer, Demosthe- 
nes, and Pythagoras. See Grotius, in 
loc. The maxim is founded in obvious 
justice, and is in accordance with the 
great law under which our Creator 
has placed us, Gen. iii. 19. That law, 
in the circumstances, was benevolent, 
and it should be our aim to carry it 



9 Not because we have not pow- 
er, h but to make ourselves an en- 
sample unto you to follow us. 

10 For even when we were with 
you, this we commanded you, that 
c if any would not work, neither 
should he eat. 

11 For we hear that there are 
some which walk among you dis- 
orderly, working not at all, but are 
busy-bodies.^ 

c Gen. 3. 19. d\ Tim. 5. 13. 1 Pet. 4. 15. 

out in reference to ourselves and to 
others. The rule here laid down by 
the apostle extends to all who are 
able to work for a living, and who will 
not do it, and binds us not to contrib- 
ute to their support if they will not 
labor for it. It should be regarded 
as extending (1.) to the members of 
a Church — who, though poor, should 
not be supported by their brethren, 
unless they are willing to work in any 
way they can for their own mainte- 
nance. (2.) To those who beg from 
door to door, who should never be as- 
sisted unless they are willing to do all 
they can do for their own support. No 
one can be justified in assisting a lazy 
man. In no possible circumstances 
are we to contribute to foster indo- 
lence. A man might as properly help 
to maintain open vice. 

11. For we hear. It is not known in 
what way this was made known to 
Paul, whether by Timothy, or by some 
other one. He had no doubt of its 
truth, and he seems to have been pre- 
pared to believe it the more readily 
from what he saw when he was among 
them. *\\ Which walk disorderly. See 
Notes on ver. 6. % But are busy-bodies. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. v. 13 ; 1 Pet. iv. 
15. That is, they meddled with the af- 
fairs of others — a thing which they 
who have nothing of their own to busy 
themselves about will be very* likely 
to do. The apostle had seen that there 
was a tendency to this when he was in 
Thessalonica, and hence he had com- 
manded them to u do their own busi- 
ness." 1 Thess. iv. 11. The injunction, 
it seems, had availed little, for there 
is no class of persons who will so lit- 
tle heed good counsel as those who 
have a propensity to intermeddle with 
the affairs of others. One of the in- 
dispensable things to check this is, 
that each one should have enough to 



A.D. 53.] 



CHAPTER III. 



09 



12 Now them that are such we 
command and exhort by our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that with quietness 
they work, a and eat their own 
bread. 

13 But ye, brethren, 1 be not b 
weary in well doing. 

a Eph. 4. 28. 1 or, faint not. 

b 1 Cor. 15.58. 



do himself; and one of the most pes- 
tiferous of all persons is he who has 
nothing to do but to look after the 
affairs of his neighbors. In times of 
affliction and want we should be ready 
to lend our aic^j* At other times, we 
should feel that our neighbor can man- 
age his own affairs as well as we can 
do it for him ; or, if he can not, it is 
his business, not ours. The Greek 
word used occurs only here and in 1 
Tim. v. 13. Comp. Notes on Phil. ii. 4. 

12. Now them that are such we com- 
mand and exhort by our Lord Jesus, etc. 
A more solemn command and appeal 
to do what he had before enjoined on 
all of them. IThess.iv.ll. See Notes 
on that verse. 

13. But ye, brethren, be not iveary in 
well-doing. Marg. , faint not. The Greek 
means, properly, to turn out a coward; 
then to be faint-hearted ; to despond. 
The idea is, that they were not to be 
discouraged from doing good to the 
truly worthy and deserving by the 
idleness andimproper conduct of some 
who asked their assistance. They were, 
indeed, shiftless and worthless. They 
would not labor ; they spent their time 
in intermeddling with the concerns 
of their neighbors, and they depended 
for their support on the charity of 
others. The tendency of this, as all 
who have ever been applied to by such 
persons for aid know, is to indispose 
us to do good to any. We learn insen- 
sibly to feel that all who ask for aid 
are of the same character ; or, not be- 
ing able to discriminate, we close our 
hands alike against all. Against this 
the apostle would guard us, and he 
says that though there may be many 
such persons, and though we may find 
it difficult to distinguish the worthy 
from the unworthy, we should not be- 
come so disheartened as not to give at 
all. Nor should we be weary though 
the applications for assistance are fre- 
quent. They are, indeed, frequent. 
God designs that they should be. But 
the effect should not be to disheart- 



14 And if any man obey not our 
word by 2 this epistle, note that 
man, and have c no company with 
him, that he may be ashamed. 

15 Yet count him not as an ene- 
my, but admonish Mm as a broth- 
er.^ 

2 or, signify that man by an epistle. 

c Matt. 18. '17. Ver. 6. d Lev. 19. 17. 

en us, or to make us weary in well- 
doing, but to fill us with gratitude — 
for it is a privilege to be permitted 
to do good. See Acts xx. 35. It is the 
great distinguishing characteristic of 
God that he always does good. It was 
that which marked the character of 
the Redeemer, that he "went about 
doing good;" and whenever God gives 
us the opportunity and the means of 
doing good, it should be to us an oc- 
casion of special thanksgiving. A man 
ought to become 'Weary" of every 
thing else sooner than of evincing be- 
nevolence. Comp. Notes on Gal. vi. 
10. 

14. And if any man obey not our word 
by this epistle. Marg.," or, signify that 
man by an epistle. According to the 
marginal reading, this would mean 
" signify, mark out, or designate that 
man to me by an epistle." The differ- 
ence is merely whether we unite the 
words "by the epistle" with what goes 
before or what follows. . The Greek 
would admit of either construction 
(Winer, p. 93), but it seems to me that 
the construction in the text is the cor- 
rect one, for (1.) the requirement was 
to proceed to discipline such a man 
by withdrawing from him; (2.) in or- 
der to do this it was not necessary 
that the case should be made known 
to Paul, for there was no supposable 
difficulty in it, and the effect would 
be only needless delay ; (3.) Paul re- 
garded the right of discipline as resid- 
ing in the Church itself, and did not 
require that cases should be referred 
to him to determine. See Notes on 1 
Cor. v. 2-4. (4. ) Though the Greek will 
admit of either construction, yet it 
rather favors this. See Olshausen, in 
loc. If Note that man. The word here 
used, means to mark ; to sign ; to note 
with marks ; and the idea is, set such 
a mark upon him that he may be shun- 
ned ; that is, withdraw all Christian 
fellowship from him. IT And have no 
company with him. The Greek word 
here means, to mix up together ; then 



100 



II. THESSALOXIANS. 



[A.D. 53. 



16 Now the Lord a of peace him- 
self give you peace always by all 
means. The Lord be with you all. 

17 The salutation b of Paul with 
mine own hand, which is the to- 
ken in every epistle : so I write. 

a Rom. 16.20. bl Cor. 16.21. 

to mingle together with ; to have in- 
tercourse with. The idea is, that they 
were not to mingle with him as a Chris- 
tian brother, or as one of their own 
number. They were not to show that 
they regarded him as a worthy mem- 
ber of the Church, or as having a claim 
to its privileges. The extent of their 
discipline was, that they were to with- 
draw from him. See Notes on ver. 6, 
and Matt, xviii. 17. Comp. 2 John 10, 
11. 

15. Yet count him not as an enemy, but 
admonish him as a brother. This shows 
the true spirit in which discipline is 
to be administered in the Christian 
Church. We are not to deal with a man 
as an adversary over whom we are to 
seek to gain a victory, but as an erring 
brother — a brother still, though he errs. 
There was necessity for this caution. 
There is great danger that when we 
undertake the work of discipline we 
shall forget that he who is the sub- 
ject of it is a brother, and that we shall 
regard and treat him as an enemy. 
Such is human nature. We set our- 
selves in array against him. We cut 
him off as one who is unworthy to walk 
with us. We triumph over him, and 
consider him at once as an enemy of 
the Church, and as having lost all 
claim to its sympathies. We abandon 
him to the tender mercies of a cold 
and unfeeling world, and let him take 
his course. Perhaps we follow him 
with anathemas, and hold him up as 
unworthy the confidence of mankind. 



18 The c grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ be with you all. Amen. 
The second epistle to the Thessa- 
lonians was written from 
Athens. 



c Rom. 16. 24. 

Now all this is entirely unlike the 
method and aim of discipline which 
the New Testament requires. There 
all is kind and gentle, though firm; the 
offender is a man and a brother still ; 
he is to be followed with tender sym- 
pathy and prayer, and the hearts and 
the arms of the Christian brotherhood 
are to be open to receive him again 
when he gives any evidence of repent- 
ing. 

16. Now the Lord of peace. The Lord 
who alone can impart peace. See Notes 
on Rom. xv. 33 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 33 ; Heb. 
xiii. 20 ; John xiv. 27. 

17. The salutation of Paul with mine 
own hand. See Notes on 1 Cor. xvi. 
21. ^ Which is the token in every epis- 
tle. Gr., sign. That is, this signature 
is a sign or proof of the genuineness 
of the epistle. Comp. Notes on Gal. 
vi. 11. If So I write. Referring, prob- 
ably, to some mark or method which 
Paul had of signing his name, whicE 
was well known, and which would eas- 
ily be recognized by them. 

18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 
be with you all. See Notes on Rom. 
xvi. 20. 

From the subscription to this epis- 
tle, it purports to have been " written 
from Athens." This is probably in- 
correct, as there is reason to think that 
it was written from Corinth. See the 
Introduction. At all events, this sub- 
set iption is of no authority. See Notes 
at the end of the Epistles to the Ro- 
mans and 1 Corinthians. 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



INTRODUCTION. 
% 

§ 1. Notices of the Life of Timothy. 

Nearly all that can now be known of Timothy is to be learned 
from the New Testament. He was a native of either Derbe or Lystra, 
but it is not certainly known which. Acts xvi. 1. Paul found him 
there on his visit to those places, and does not appear to have been 
acquainted with him before. His mother, whose name was Eunice, 
was a Jewess, and was pious, as was also his grandmother, Lois. 2 
Tim. i. 3. His father was a Greek, but was evidently not unfriendly 
to the Jewish religion, for Timothy had been carefully trained in the 
Scriptures. 2 Tim. iii. 15. Paul came to Derbe and Lystra, and be- 
came acquainted with him, about A.D. 51 or 52 ; but there is no meth- 
od now of ascertaining the exact age of Timothy at that time, though 
there is reason to think that he was then a youth. 1 Tim. iv. 12. It 
would seem, also, that he was a youth of uncommon hope and promise, 
and that there had been some special indications that he would rise 
to distinction as a religious man, and would exert an extended influ- 
ence in favor of religion. 1 Tim. i. 18. At the time when Paul first 
met him, he was a u disciple," or a Christian convert ; but the means 
which had been used for his conversion are unknown. His mother 
had been before converted to the Christian faith (Acts xvi. 1), and 
Timothy was well known to the Christians in the neighboring towns 
of Lystra and Iconium. The Gospel had been preached by Paul and 
Barnabas, in Iconium, Derbe, and Lystra, some six or seven years before 
it is said that Paul met with Timothy (Acts xvi. 1), and it is not im- 
probable that this youth had been converted in the interval. 

Several things appear to have combined to induce the apostle to in- 
troduce him into the ministry, and to make him a traveling compan- 
ion. His youth; his acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures; the 
" prophecies which went on before him ;" his talents ; his general rep- 
utation in the Church, and, it would seem also, his amiableness of 
manners, fitting him to be an* agreeable companion, attracted the at- 
tention of the apostle, and led him to desire that he might be a fellow- 
laborer with him. To satisfy the prejudices of the Jews, and to pre- 
vent any possible objection which might be made against his qualifi- 
cations for the ministerial office, Paul circumcised him (Acts xvi. 3), 
and he was ordained to the office of the ministry by "the laying on of 
the hands of the presbytery." 1 Tim. iv. 14. When this ordination 
occurred is not known ; but it is most probable that it was before he 
went on his travels with Paul, as it is known that Paul was present on 
the occasion, and took a leading part in the transaction. 2 Tim. i. 6. 

Timothy, having joined Paul and Silas, accompanied them on a visit 



civ 



INTRODUCTION. 



to the churches of Phrygia and Galatia, in which they delivered them 
the decrees to keep which had been ordained at Jerusalem. Acts xvi. 
4, seq. Having done this, they endeavored to go together into Bithyn- 
ia, a province of Asia Minor, on the northwest, but were prevented ; 
and they then went into Mysia, and to the towns of Troas. Acts xvi. 
8. Here Luke appears to have joined them; and from this place, in 
obedience to a vision which appeared to Paul, they went into Mace- 
donia, and preached the Gospel first at Philippi, where they estab- 
lished a Church. In this city Paul and Silas were imprisoned ; but it 
is remarkable that nothing is said of Timothy and Luke, and it is not 
known whether they shared in the sufferings of the persecution there 
or not. Every thing, however, renders it probable that Timothy was 
with them at Philippi, as he is mentioned as having started with them 
to go on the journey (Acts xvi. 3, seq.), and as we find him at Berea 
after the apostle had been released from prison, and had preached at 
Thessalonica and Berea. Acts xvii. 14. From this place Paul was 
conducted to Athens, but left an injunction for Silas and Timothy to 
join him there as soon as possible. This was done: but when Tim- 
othy had come to Athens, Paul felt it to be important that the Church 
at Thessalonica should be visited and comforted in its afflictions, and, 
being prevented from doing it himself, he sent Timothy, at great per- 
sonal inconvenience, back to that Church. Having discharged the 
duty there, he rejoined the apostle at Corinth (Acts xviii. 5), from 
which place the First Epistle to the Thessalonians was written. See 
Intro d. to 1 Thess., and Notes on 1 Thess. i. 1, and iii. 2. These trans- 
actions occurred about A.D. 52. 

Paul remained at Corinth a year and a half (Acts 'xviii. 11), and it 
is probable that Timothy and Silas remained with him. See 2 Thess. 
i. 1. From Corinth he sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and 
Aquila, whom he appears to have left on his way at Ephesus. Acts 
xviii. 18, 19-26. Whether Timothy and Silas accompanied him is not 
mentioned, but we find Timothy again with him at Ephesus, after he 
had been to Cesarea and Antioch, and had returned to Ephesus. Acts 
xviii. 22 ; xix. 1-22. From Ephesus, he sent Timothy and Erastus to 
Macedonia (Acts xix. 22), but for what purpose, or how long they re- 
mained, is unknown. From 1 Cor. iv. 17, it appears that Paul expected 
that on this journey Timothy would stop at Corinth, and would give 
the Church there instructions adapted to its situation. Paul continued 
in Ephesus until he was compelled to depart by the tumult caused by 
Demetrius, when he left and went to Macedonia. Acts xx. Whether 
Timothy, during the interval, had returned to Ephesus from Macedo- 
nia, is not expressly mentioned in the history ; but such a supposition 
is not improbable. Paul, during the early part of his residence in 
Ephesus, appears to have labored quietly (Acts xix. 9, 10) ; and Tim- 
othy was sent away before the disturbances caused by Demetrius. 
Acts xix. 22. Paul designed to follow him soon, and then to go to 
Jerusalem, and then to Rome. Acts xix. 21. Paul (Acts xx. 31) was 
in Ephesus in all about three years ; and it is not unreasonable to sup- 
pose that he remained there after Timothy was sent to Macedonia 
long enough for him to go and to return to him again. If so, it is 
possible that when he himself went away, he left Timothy there in his 



INTRODUCTION. 



cv 



place. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 3. It has been the general opinion that the 
First Epistle to Timothy was written at this time, either when the 
apostle was on his way to Macedonia, or while in Macedonia. But 
this opinion has not been unquestioned. The departure of Paul for 
Macedonia occurred about A.D. 58 or 59. In Acts xx. 4, Timothy is 
again mentioned as accompanying Paul, after he had remained in 
Greece three months, on the route to Syria through Macedonia. He 
went with him, in company with many others, into "Asia." Going 
before Paul, they waited for him at Troas (Acts xx. 5), and thence 
doubtless accompanied him on his way to Jerusalem. It was on this 
occasion that Paul delivered his farewell charge to the elders of the 
Church of Ephesus, at Miletus. Acts xx. 17, seq. When in Macedo- 
nia, Paul wrote the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and Timothy 
was then with him, for he unites in the salutations. 2 Cor. i. 1. Tim- 
othy was also with the apostle on this journey at Corinth, when from 
that city he wrote his Epistle to the Romans. Rom. xvi. 21. 

The subsequent events of the life of Timothy are less known. It 
does not appear from the Acts of the Apostles that he was with Paul 
during his two years' imprisonment at Cesarea, or during his voyage 
to Rome. It is certain, however, that he was at Rome with the apos- 
tle when he wrote the Epistles to the Philippians, to the Colossians, 
and to Philemon. Phil. i. 1 ; Col. i. 1 ; Philem. i. From Heb. xiii. 23, 
it appears also that Timothy had been with the apostle there, but 
that when the epistle was written he was absent on some embassy, 
and that Paul was expecting his speedy return. See Notes on that 
verse. Between the first and second imprisonment of Paul at Rome, 
no mention is made of Timothy, nor is it known where he was, or 
whether he accompanied him in his travels or not. When he was im- 
prisoned there the second time, he wrote the Second Epistle to Tim- 
othy, in which he desires him to come to Rome, and bring with him 
several things which he had left at Troas. 2 Jim. iv. 9, 13-21. If 
Timothy went to Rome, agreeably to the request of the apostle, it is 
probable that he was a witness there of his martyrdom. 

In regard to the latter part of the life of Timothy, there is nothing 
which can be depended on. It has been the current opinion, derived 
from tradition, that he was "bishop" of Ephesus; that he died and 
was buried there ; and that his bones were subsequently removed to 
Constantinople. The belief that he was "bishop" of Ephesus rests 
mainly on the " subscription" to the Second Epistle to Timothy — 
which is no authority whatever. See Notes on that subscription. 
On the question whether he was an episcopal prelate at Ephesus, the 
reader may consult my " Inquiry into the Organization and Govern- 
ment of the Apostolic Church," p. 88-107. The supposition that he 
died at Ephesus, and was subsequently removed to ConstantinojDle, 
rests on no certain historical basis. 

Timothy was long the companion and the friend of the apostle 
Paul, and is often mentioned by him with affectionate interest. In- 
deed there seems to have been no one of his fellow-laborers to whom 
he was so warmly attached. See 1 Tim. i. 2-18 ; 2 Tim. i. 2 ; ii. 1 ; 1 
Cor. iv. 17, where he calls him " his own son," and "his beloved son;" 
2 Tim. i. 4, where he expresses his earnest desire to see him, and makes 

E 2 



cvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



a reference to the tears which Timothy shed at parting from him ; 1 
Cor. xvi. 10, 11, where he bespeaks for him a kind reception among 
the Corinthians ; 1 Cor. xvi. 10 ; Rom. xvi. 21 ; 1 Thess. iii. 2, and espe- 
cially ii. 19, 20, where he speaks of his fidelity, of his usefulness to him 
in his labors, and of the interest which he took in the churches which 
the apostle had established. 

§ 2. When and Where the Epistle was Written. 

The subscription at the close of the epistle states that it was written 
from Laodicea. But these subscriptions are of no authority, and many 
of them are false. See Notes at the end of 1 Corinthians. There has 
been much diversity of opinion in regard to the time when this epis- 
tle was written, and, of course, in regard to the place where it was com- 
posed. All that is certain from the epistle itself, is that it was ad- 
dressed to Timothy at Ephesus, and that it was soon after Paul had 
left that city to go into Macedonia. 1 Tim. i. 3. Paul is mentioned 
in the Acts as having been at Ephesus twice. Acts xviii. 19-23 ; xix. 
1-41. After his first visit there, he went directly to Jerusalem, and, of 
course, it could not have been written at that time. The only question 
then is, whether it was written when Paul left the city, having been 
driven away by the excitement caused by Demetrius (Acts xx. 1), or 
whether he visited Ephesus again on some occasion after his first im- 
prisonment at Rome, and, of course, after the narrative of Luke in the 
Acts of the Apostles closes. If on the former occasion, it was written 
about the year 58 or 59 ; if the latter, about the year 64 or 65. Critics 
have been divided in reference to this point, and the question is still un- 
settled, and it may be impossible to determine it with entire certainty. 

Those who have maintained the former opinion, among others, are 
Theodoret, Benson, Zachariae, Michaelis, Schmidt, Koppe, Planck, 
Grotius, Lightfoot, Witsius, Lardner, Hug, and Professor Stuart. The 
latter opinion, that it. was written subsequently to the period of Paul's 
first imprisonment at Rome, is maintained by Paley, Pearson, L'Enfant, 
Leclerc, Cave, Mill, Whitby, Macknight, and others. 

An examination of the reasons in favor of each of these opinions in 
regard to the date of the epistle may be found in Paley 's Horce Paul. ; 
Macknight ; Hug's Introd., and Koppe, Proleg. 

The theory of Eichhorn, which is peculiar, and which is supported 
by some ingenious and plausible but not conclusive reasoning, may be 
seen in his Einleitung in das neue Test., 3 B., 314-352. 

In the diversity of opinion which prevails about the time when the 
epistle was written, it is impossible to determine the question in such 
a manner as to leave no room for doubt. After the most careful ex- 
amination which I have been able to give to the subject, however, it 
seems to me that the former opinion is correct, that it was written 
soon after Paul was driven from Ephesus by the tumult caused by 
Demetrius, as recorded in Acts xix. ; xx. 1. The reasons for this opin- 
ion are briefly these : 

1. This is the only record that occurs in the New Testament of the 
apostle's having gone from Ephesus to Macedonia. See above. It is 
natural, therefore, to suppose that this is referred to in 1 Tim. i. 3, un- 
less there is some insuperable difficulty in the way. 



INTRODUCTION. 



cvii 



2. There is no certain evidence that Paul visited the Church at Eph- 
esus after his first imprisonment at Rome. It is certainly possible that 
he did, but there is no record of any such visit in the New Testament, 
nor any historical record of it elsewhere. If there had been such a 
visit after his release, and if this epistle was written then, it is remark- 
able that the apostle does not make any allusion to his imprisonment 
in this epistle, and that he does not refer at all to his own escape 
from this danger at Rome. Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17. 

3. The supposition that the epistle was written at the time sup- 
posed, agrees better with the character of the epistle, and with the 
design for which Timothy was left at Ephesus, than the others. It is 
manifest from the epistle that the Church was in some respects in an 
unsettled condition, and it would seem also that one part of the duty 
of Timothy there was to see that it was placed under a proper organ- 
ization. This Paul had evidently proposed to accomplish himself ; 
but it is clear from chap. i. 3 that he had left his work unfinished, and 
that he gave what he had proposed to do into the hands of Timothy 
to be perfected. After the first imprisonment of Paul at Rome, how- 
ever, there is every reason to suppose that the Church was completely 
organized. Even when Paul went from Macedonia to Jerusalem (Acts 
xx.), there were " elders" placed over the Church at Ephesus, whom 
Paul assembled at Miletus, and to whom he gave his parting charge, 
and his final instructions in regard to the Church. 

4. At the time when Paul wrote this epistle, Timothy w T as a young 
man — a youth. 1 Tim. iv. 12. It is true, that if he was somewhere 
about twenty years of age when he was introduced into the ministry, 
as has been commonly supposed, this language would not be entirely 
inappropriate, even after the imprisonment of Paul, but still the lan- 
guage would more properly denote one somewhat younger than Tim- 
othy would be at that time. 

5. To this may be added the declaration of Paul in 1 Tim. iii. 14, 
that he " hoped to come to him shortly." This is an expression which 
agrees well with the supposition that he had himself been driven 
away before he had intended to leave ; that he had left something 
unfinished there which he desired to complete, and that he hoped 
that affairs would soon be in such a state that he would be permitted 
to return. It may be also suggested, as a circumstance of some im- 
portance, though not conclusive, that when Paul met the elders of the 
Church of Ephesus at Miletus, he said that he had no expectation of 
ever seeing them again : " And now, behold, I know that ye all, 
among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see 
my face no more." Acts xx. 25. I do not think that this is to be un- 
derstood as an inspired prediction, affirming with absolute certainty 
that he never would see them again, but that he rather expressed his 
apprehensions that it would be so from the circumstances which then 
existed. Acts xx. 22, 23. Still, this passage shows that when he ut- 
tered it he did not expect to visit Ephesus again, as he manifestly did 
when he wrote the Epistle to Timothy. 

These considerations seem so clear that they would leave no doubt on 
the mind, were it not for certain things which it seems to many impossi- 
ble to reconcile with this supposition. The difficulties are the following : 



cviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



1. That before Paul went to Macedonia, he had sent Timothy with 
Erastus before him (Acts xix. 22), purposing to follow them at no dis- 
tant period, and to pass through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to 
go to Jerusalem, and afterward to visit Rome. Acts xix. 21. As he 
had sent Timothy before him but so short a time before he left Eph- 
esus, it is asked how Timothy could be left at Ephesus when Paul went 
himself to Macedonia ? To this; objection we may reply, that it is not 
improbable, by any means, that Timothy may have accomplished the 
object of his journey to Macedonia, and may have returned to the 
apostle at Ephesus before he was driven away. It does not appear, 
from the narrative, that Timothy was intrusted with any commission 
which would require a long time to fulfill, nor that Paul expected 
that he would remain in Macedonia until he himself came. The pur- 
pose for which he sent Timothy and Erastus is not indeed mentioned, 
but it seems probable that it was with reference to the collection 
which he proposed to take up for the poor saints at Jerusalem. See 
Notes on Acts xix. 21, 22. Comp. 1 Cor. xvi. 1-6. If it was the pur- 
pose to prepare the churches for such a collection, it could not have 
required any considerable time, nor was it necessary that Timothy 
should remain long in a place ; and it was natural also that he should 
return to the apostle at Ephesus and apprise him of what he had 
done, and what was the prospect in regard to the collection. It has 
been clearly shown by Hug (Introd. to the New Test., § 104-109), that 
such a journey could easily have been made in the time during which 
the apostle remained at Ephesus after he had sent Timothy and Eras- 
tus to Macedonia. 

2. The next objection — and one which is regarded by Paley as deci- 
sive against the supposition that the epistle was written on this occa- 
sion — is that, from the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (i. 1), it is 
evident that, at the time in which this epistle is supposed to have been 
written, Timothy was with the apostle in Macedonia. The Second 
Epistle to the Corinthians was undoubtedly written during this visit 
of Paul to Macedonia, and at that time Timothy was with him. See 
the Introd. to 2 Cor., § 3. ^How, then, can it be supposed that he was at 
Ephesus ? Or how can this fact be reconciled with the supposition 
that Timothy was left there, and especially with the declaration of 
Paul to him (1 Tim. iii. 14), that he " hoped to come to him shortly ?" 
That Paul expected that Timothy would remain at Ephesus, at least 
for some time, is evident from 1 Tim. iii. 15, " But if I tarry long, that 
thou may est know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house 
of God;" and from chap. iv. 13, " Till I come, give attendance to 
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." The only solution of this diffi- 
culty is, that Timothy had left Ephesus, and had followed the apostle 
into Macedonia ; and the only question here is, whether, since the 
apostle designed that he should remain at Ephesus, and expected 
himself to return and meet him there, Timothy would be likely to 
leave that place and go to Macedonia. It is certain that the history 
in the Acts does not make this record, but that is no material objec- 
tion — since it can not be supposed that every occurrence in the travels 
of the apostles was recorded. But there are two or three circum- 
stances which may render the supposition that Timothy, either by the 



INTRODUCTION. 



cix 



concurrence, or by the direction of Paul, privately communicated to 
him, may have left Ephesus sooner than was at first contemplated, 
and may have rejoined him in Macedonia. (1.) One is, that the main 
business which Timothy was appointed to perform at Ephesus — to 
give a solemn charge to certain persons there to teach no other doc- 
trine but that which Paul taught (1 Tim. i. 3) — might have been 
speedily accomplished. Paul was driven away in haste,' and, as he 
had not the opportunity of doing this himself as he wished, he left 
Timothy in charge of it. But this did not require, of necessity, any 
considerable time. (2.) Another is, that the business of appointing 
suitable officers over the Church there, might also have been soon ac- 
complished. In fact, the Church there is known to have been sup- 
plied with proper officers not long after this, for Paul sent from Mile- 
tus for the elders to meet him there on his way to Jerusalem. This 
remark is made in accordance with the opinion that a part of the 
work which Timothy was expected to perform there was to constitute 
proper officers over the Church. But there is no proof that that was 
a part of his business. It is not specified in what Paul mentions, in 
chap. i. 3, as the design for which he was left there, and it is hardly 
probable that the apostle would have spent so long a time as he did 
in Ephesus — nearly three years (Acts xx. 31) — without having organ- 
ized the Church with proper officers. Besides, the address, of Paul to 
the elders at Miletus implies that they had received their appointment 
before he left them. See Acts xx. 18-35, particularly ver. 35. The 
instructions to Timothy in this epistle about the proper qualifications 
of the officers of the Church, do not prove that he was then to appoint 
officers at Ephesus, for they are general instructions, having no partic- 
ular reference to the Church there, and designed to guide him in his 
work through life. There is, therefore, nothing in the duties which 
Timothy was to perform at Ephesus which would forbid the supposi- 
tion that he may have soon followed the apostle into Macedonia. 
(3.) It appears that though Paul may have intended, if possible, to 
visit Ephesus on his way to Jerusalem, in accordance with 1 Tim. iii. 
14, 15 ; iv. 13, yet, if that had been his intention, he subsequently 
changed his mind, and found it necessary to make other arrange- 
ments. Thus it is said (Acts xx. 16) that "Paul had determined to 
sail ly Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia ;" that 
is, he had resolved to sail past Ephesus without visiting it. It would 
seem probable also, that this resolution had been formed before he left 
Macedonia, for it is said that he "had determined" it (sKpive), and, if 
so, there is no improbability in supposing that he had in some way 
caused it to be intimated to Timothy that he wished him to leave 
Ephesus and join him before he left Macedonia. (4.) In fact, and in 
accordance with this supposition, we find Timothy with Paul when he 
went on that occasion into " Asia." Acts xx. 4, 5. These considera- 
tions render it probable that the epistle was written to Timothy soon 
after Paul had left Ephesus to go into Macedonia after the tumult 
excited by Demetrius. As Paul was driven away unexpectedly, and 
when he had not completed what he designed to do there, nothing 
is more natural than the supposition that he would embrace the ear- 
liest opportunity to give suitable instructions to Timothy, that he 
might know how to complete the work. 



cx 



INTRODUCTION. 



§ 3. The Occasion and Design of the Epistle. 

This is specified in chap. i. 3. Paul had gone into Macedonia, having 
been suddenly driven away from Ephesus, before he had entirely ac- 
complished what he designed to do there. He left Timothy there to 
" charge some that they teach no other doctrine;" that is, no other 
doctrine than that which he had himself taught when there. It is 
clear, from this, that there were certain errors prevailing which Paul 
thought it of the highest importance to have corrected. In regard to 
those errors, see the Introduction to the Epistle to the Ephesians, and 
the Epistle to the Colossians. Some of the circumstances which gave 
occasion to this epistle can be gathered from the history in the Acts 
of the Apostles ; others can be derived from the epistle itself. From 
these sources of information we learn the following things in reference 
to the state of the Church at Ephesus, which made it proper that 
Timothy should be left there, and that these instructions should be 
given him to regulate his conduct. 

(1.) There was much opposition to the apostle Paul from the Jews 
who resided there. Acts xix. 8, 9. 

(2.) There were in the Church teachers who endeavored to enforce 
the maxims of the Jewish law, and to represent that law as binding 
on Christians. 1 Tim. i. 6, 7. 

(3.) Some of the Jews residing there were addicted to exorcism, and 
endeavored to make use of Christianity and the name of Jesus to pro- 
mote their selfish ends. Acts xix. 14. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 4. 

(4.) The Jewish teachers laid great stress on genealogies and tradi- 
tions, and were much given to debates about various questions con- 
nected with the law. 1 Tim. i. 4-6. 

(5.) There were erroneous views prevailing respecting the rights of 
women, and the place which they ought to occupy in the Church. 1 
Tim. ii. 8-15. 

(6.) The organization of the officers of the Church had not been ef- 
fected as Paul wished it to be. It is probable that some of the officers 
had been appointed, and that some instructions had been given to 
them in regard to their duties, but the whole arrangement had not 
been completed. 1 Tim. iii.,iv. 

(7.) There were certain questions in regard to the proper treatment 
of widows which had not yet been determined. 1 Tim. v. 

(8.) The apostle in his preaching had inculcated benevolent prin- 
ciples, and had asserted the natural equality of all men, and it would 
seem that certain persons had taken occasion from this to excite a 
spirit of discontent and insubordination among those who were serv- 
ants. The doctrine seems to have been advanced that, as all men 
were equal, and all had been redeemed by the same blood, therefore 
those who had been held in bondage were free from all obligation to 
serve their masters. There were those evidently who sought to excite 
them to insurrection ; to break down the distinctions in society; and 
to produce a state of insubordination and disorder. 1 Tim. vi. Comp. 
Eph. vi. 5-10 ; Col. iii. 22 ; iv. 2. 

Such appears to have been the state of things when the apostle was 
compelled suddenly to leave Ephesus. He had hitherto directed the 



INTRODUCTION. 



cxi 



affairs of the Church there mainly himself, and had endeavored to cor- 
rect the errors then prevailing, and to establish the Church on a right 
foundation. Matters appear to have been tending to the desired re- 
sult; religion was acquiring a strong hold on the members of the 
Church (Acts xix. 18-20) ; error was giving way; the community was 
becoming more and more impressed with the value of Christianity ; 
the influence of idolatry was becoming less and less (Acts xix. 23, seq.) ; 
and the arrangements for the complete organization of the Church 
were in progress. Such was the promising state of things in these 
respects that the apostle hoped to be able to leave Ephesus at no very 
distant period, and had actually made arrangements to do it. Acts 
xix. 21. But his arrangements were not quite finished, and before 
they were completed he was compelled to leave by the tumult excited 
by Demetrius. He left Timothy, therefore, to complete the arrange- 
ments, and, in this first epistle, gave him all the instructions which 
were necessary to guide him in that work. 

This view of the state of things in Ephesus at the time when the 
apostle was constrained to leave it, will enable us to understand the 
drift of the epistle, and the reasons why the various topics found in it 
were introduced. At the same time, the instructions are of so general 
a character that they would be an invaluable guide to Timothy not 
only at Ephesus, but through his life ; and not only to him, but to all 
the ministers of the Gospel in every age and land. A more detailed 
view of these topics will be furnished in the analysis prefixed to the 
several chapters of the epistle. 

The Epistles to Timothy and Titus occupy a very important place 
in the New Testament, and without them there would be a manifest 
and most material defect in the volume of inspiration. Their canon- 
ical authority has never been questioned by the great body of the 
Church, and there is no doubt that they are the productions of the 
apostle Paul. If the various epistles which he wrote, and the various 
other books of the New Testament, be attentively examined, it will be 
found that each one is designed to accomplish an important object, 
and that if any one were removed a material ch&sm would be made. 
Though the removal of any one of them would not so impair the vol- 
ume of the New Testament as to obscure any essential doctrine, or pre- 
vent our obtaining the knowledge of the way of salvation from the 
remainder, yet it would mar the beauty and symmetry of the truth, 
and would render the system of instruction defective and incomplete. 

This is true in regard to the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, as it is 
of the other ejDistles. They fill a department which nothing else in 
the New Testament would enable us to supply, and without which in- 
structions to man respecting redemption would be incomplete. They 
relate mainly to the office of the ministry ; and though there are impor- 
tant instructions of the Saviour himself respecting the office (Matt, x., 
Mark xvi., and elsewhere), and though in the address of Paul to the 
elders of Ephesus (Acts xx.), and in the Epistles to the Corinthians, 
there are invaluable suggestions respecting it, yet such is its impor- 
tance in the organization of the Church, that more full and complete 
instructions seem to be imperiously demanded. Those instructions 
are furnished in these epistles. They are as full and complete as we 



cxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



could desire in regard to the nature of the office, the qualifications for 
it, and the duties which grow out of it. They are fitted not only to 
direct Timothy and Titus in the work to which they were specifically 
appointed, but to counsel the ministry in every age and in every land. 
It is obvious that the character and welfare of the Church depend 
greatly, if not entirely, on the character of the ministry. The office of 
the ministry is God's great appointment for the preservation of pure 
religion, and for spreading it abroad through the w r orld. The Church 
adheres to the truth ; is built up in faith ; is distinguished for love, 
and purity, and zeal, in proportion as the ministry is honored, and 
shows itself qualified for its work. In every age corruption in the 
Church has commenced with the ministry ; and w 7 here the Gospel has 
been spread abroad with zeal, and the Church has arisen in her 
strength and beauty, it has been pre-eminently where God has sent 
down his Spirit in copious measures on those who have filled the sa- 
cred office. So important, then, is this office to the welfare of the 
Church and the world, that it was desirable that full instructions 
should be furnished in the volume of revelation in regard to its nature 
and design. Such instructions we have in these epistles, and there is 
scarcely any portion of the New Testament which the Church could 
not better afford to part with than the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. 
Had the ministry always been such as these epistles contemplate ; had 
they who have filled the sacred office always possessed the character 
and qualifications here described, we may believe that the Church 
would have been saved from the strifes that have rent it, and that the 
pure Gospel would long ere this have been spread through the world. 

But it is not to the ministry only that these epistles are of so much 
value. They are of scarcely less importance to the Church at large. 
Its vitality; it's purity; its freedom from strife; its zeal, and love, and 
triumph in spreading the Gospel, depend on the character of the min- 
istry. If the Church will prosper from age to age, the pulpit must be 
filled with a pious, learned, laborious, and devoted ministry, and one 
of the first cares of the Church should be that such a ministry should 
be secured. This great object can not better be attained than by 
keeping the instructions in these epistles steadily before the minds of 
the members of the Church ; and though a large part of them is par- 
ticularly adapted to the ministers of the Gospel, yet the Church itself 
can in no better way promote its own purity and prosperity than by 
a prayerful and attentive study of the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. 



FIRST EPISTLE OF 



PAUL TO TIMOTHY. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, 
a by the commandment of God 
our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, 
wMcli is our hope. 6 

a Acts 9. 15. b Col. 1. 27. c Acts 16. 1. 



CHAPTER I. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter comprises the follow- 
ing subjects : 

(1.) The salutation to Timothy, in 
the usual manner in which Paul intro- 
duces his epistles. Vs. 1, 2. 

(2.) The purpose for which he had 
left him at Ephesus. Vs. 3, 4. It was 
that he might correct the false instruc- 
tions of some of the teachers there, 
and especially, as it would seem, in re- 
gard to the true use of the law. They 
gave undue importance to some things 
in the law of Moses ; they did not un- 
derstand the true nature and design 
of his institutions; and they mingled 
in their instructions much that was 
mere fable. 

(3.) The true use and design of the 
law. Ver. 5-11. It was to produce love, 
not vain jangling. It was not made 
to fetter the conscience of the good by 
vain and troublesome austerities and 
ceremonies ; it was to restrain and 
bind the wicked. The use of the law, 
according to these teachers, and ac- 
cording to the prevailing Jewish no- 
tions, was to prescribe a great number 
of formalities, and to secure outward 
conformity in a great variety of cum- 
brous rites and ceremonies. Paul di- 
rects Timothy to teach them that love, 
out of a pure heart and a good con- 
science, was the elementary principle 
of religion, and that the "law" was 
primarily designed to restrain and con- 
trol wicked men, and that the Gospel 
brought to light and enforced this im- 
portant truth. 

(4.) The mention of the Gospel in 
this connection leads Paul to express 
his thanks to God that he had been in- 
trusted with this message of salvation. 
Ver. 12-17. Once he had the same 



2 Unto Timothy, c my own son d 
in the faith ; Grace, e mercy, and 
peace, from God our Father and 
Jesus Christ our Lord. 

3 As I besought thee to abide 

d Tim. 1.4. c Gal. 1.3. 1 Pet. 1.2. 



views as others. But he had obtained 
mercy, and he was permitted to publish 
that glorious Gospel which had shed 
such light on the law of God, and 
which had revealed a plan of salvation 
that was worthy of universal accepta- 
tion. 

(5.) This solemn duty of preaching 
the Gospel he commits now to Timo- 
thy. Ver. 18-20. He says that he had 
been called to the work in accordance 
with prophecies which had been ut- 
tered of him in anticipation of his fut- 
ure usefulness in the Church, and in 
the expectation that he would not, 
like some others, make shipwreck of 
his faith. 

1. Paid, an apostle of Jesus Christ. See 
Notes on Rom. i. 1. If By the command- 
ment of God. See Notes on 1 Cor. i. 1. 
If Our Saviour. The name Saviour is 
as applicable to God the Father as to 
the Lord Jesus Christ, since God is 
the great Author of salvation. See 
Notes on Luke i. 47. Comp. 1 Tim. iv. 
10 ; Titus ii. 10 ; Jude 25. If And Lord 
Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul had re- 
ceived his commission directly from 
him. SeeNotesonGal.i.11,12. f Which 
is our hope. See Notes on Col. i. 27. 

2. Unto Timothy. For an account of 
Timothy, see Introd., § 1. Tf My 'own 
son in the faith. Converted to the Chris- 
tian faith by my instrumentality, and 
regarded by me with the affection of a 
father. See Notes on 1 Cor. iv. 15. Paul 
had no children of his own, and he 
adopted Timothy as a son, and uni- 
formly regarded and treated him as 
such. He had the same feeling also 
toward Titus. Tit. i. 4. Comp. Notes 
on Gal. iv. 19 ; 1 Thess. ii. 7, 11 ; and 
Philem. 10. If Grace, mercy, and peace, 
etc. See Notes on Rom. i. 7. 

3. As I besought thee still to abide at 



114 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[AJD. 58. 



still at Ephesus, when I went a into 
Macedonia, that thou mightest 
charge some that they teach no 
other doctrine. 

a Acts 20. 1 , 3. 

HJphesus. It is clear from this that Paul 
and Timothy had been laboring to- 
gether at Ephesus, and the language 
accords with the supposition that Paul 
had been compelled to leave before he 
had completed what he designed to do 
there. See the Introd., §2. *f| When 
I went into Macedonia. Having been 
driven away by the excitement caused 
by Demetrius and his fellow -crafts- 
men. Acts xx. 1. See the Introd., § 2, 
8. If That thou mightest charge some. 
The word charge here — TrapayyziXijs — 
seems to mean more than is common- 
ly implied by the word as used by us. 
If it had been a single direction or 
command, it might have been given 
by Paul himself before he left, but it 
seems rather to refer to that continu- 
ous instruction which would convince 
these various errorists, and lead them 
to inculcate only the true doctrine. 
As they may have been numerous ; as 
they may have embraced various forms 
of error; and as they might have had 
plausible grounds for their belief, this 
was evidently a work requiring time, 
and hence Timothy was left to effect 
this at leisure. It would seem that the 
wrath which had been excited against 
Paul had not affected Timothy, but 
that he was permitted to remain and 
labor without molestation. It is not 
certainly known who these teachers 
were, but they appear to have been of 
Jewish origin, and to have inculcated 
the peculiar sentiments of the Jews 
respecting the law. ^ That they teach 
no other doctrine. That is, no other 
doctrine than that taught by the apos- 
tles. The Greek word here used is not 
found in the classic writers, and does 
not elsewhere occur in the New Testa- 
ment, except in ch. vi. 3 of this epis- 
tle, where it is rendered u teach other- 
wise." We may learn here what was 
the design for which Timothy was left 
at Ephesus. (1.) It was for a tempo- 
rary purpose, and not as a permanent 
arrangement. It was to correct cer- 
tain errors prevailing there which Paul 
would have been able himself soon to 
correct if he had been suffered to re- 
main. Paul expected soon to return 
to him again, and then they would pro- 
ceed unitedly with their work. Ch. iv. 



4 Neither give heed 1 to fables and 
endless genealogies, which minis- 
ter questions, rather than godly 
edifying w T hich is in faith ; so do. 

« c. 6. 3, 4, 20. 

13; iii. 15. (2.) It was not that he might 
be the "Bishop" of Ephesus. There 
is no evidence that he was u ordained" 
there at all, as the subscription to the 
second epistle declares (see Notes on 
that subscription), nor were the func- 
tions which he was to perform those 
of a prelatical bishop. He was not to 
take the charge of a " diocese," or to 
ordain ministers of the" second rank," 
or to administer the rite of u confirma- 
tion," or to perform acts of discipline. 
He was left there for a purpose which 
is specified, and that is as far as pos- 
sible from what are now regarded as 
the appropriate functions of a prelat- 
ical bishop. Perhaps no claim which 
has ever been set up on any subject 
has had less semblance of argument 
than that which asserts that Timothy 
was the "Bishop of Ephesus." See 
this clause examined in my Inquiry into 
the Organization and Government of the 
Apostolic Church, p. 84-107. 

4. Neither give heed to fables. That is, 
that they should not bestow their at- 
tention on fables, or regard such trifles 
as of importance. The " fables" here 
referred to were probably the idle and 
puerile superstitions and conceits of 
the Jewish Kabbies. The word ren- 
dered fable (uv%o<s) means, properly, 
speech or discourse, and then fable or 
fiction, or a mystic discourse. Such 
things abounded among the Greeks as 
well as the Jews, but it is probable 
that the latter are here particularly in- 
tended. These were composed of friv- 
olous and unfounded stories which 
they regarded as of great importance, 
and which they seem to have desired 
to incorporate with the teachings of 
Christianity. Paul, who had been 
brought up amid these superstitions, 
saw at once how they would tend to 
draw off the mind from the truth, and 
would corrupt the true religion. One 
of the most successful arts of the ad- 
versary of souls has been to mingle 
fable with truth ; and when he can not 
overthrow the truth by direct oppo- 
sition, he endeavors to neutralize it by 
mingling with it as much as he can 
that is false and frivolous. H And end- 
less genealogies. This also refers to Jew- 
ish teaching. The Hebrews kept care- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER I. 



115 



5 Now the end a of the command- 
ment is charity, out of a pure 6 

a Rom. 13.8, 10. Gal. 5. 14. 



heart, and of a good conscience, 
and of faith unfeigned : 



ful genealogical records, for this was 
necessary in order that the distinc- 
tion of their tribes might be kept up. 
Of course, in the lapse of centuries 
these tables would become very nu- 
merous, complicated, and extended — 
so that they might without much ex- 
aggeration be called "endless." The 
Jews attached great importance to 
these tables, and insisted on their be- 
ing carefully preserved. As the Mes- 
siah, however, had now come; as the j 
Jewish polity was to cease ; as the sep- j 
aration between them and the heathen ; 
was no longer necessary ; and as the j 
distinction of tribes was now useless, 
there was no propriety that these ge- 
nealogical tables should be regarded 
by Christians. The whole system was, 
moreover, contrary to the genius of 
Christianity, for it served to keep up 
the pride of blood and of birth, Which 
minister questions. Which afford mat- 
ter for troublesome and angry debates. 1 
It was often difficult to settle or un- 
derstand those tables. They became 
| -complicated and perplexing. Nothing 
is more difficult than to unravel an ex- 
tensive genealogical record. To do 
this, therefore, would often give rise 
to contentions, and when settled, would 
give rise still further to questions 1 
about rank and precedence. \ Rather j 
than godly edifying which is in faith, j 
These inquiries do nothing to promote 1 
true religion in the soul. They settle i 
no permanent principle of truth ; they j 
determine nothing that is really im- j 
portant in the salvation of men. They 
might be pursued through life, and not 
one soul be converted by them; they I 
might be settled with the greatest ac- 1 
curacy, and yet not one heart be made 
better. Is not this still true of many 
controversies and logomachies in the 
Church ? No point of controversy is 
worth much trouble which, if it were 
settled one way or the other, would 
not tend to convert the soul from sin, 
or to establish some important prin- 
ciple in promoting true religion. ^ So 
do. These words are supplied by our 
translators, but they are necessary to 
the sense. The meaning is, that Tim- 
othy was to remain at Ephesus, and 
faithfully perform the duty which he 
had been left there to discharge. 
5. Now the end of the commandment. 



See Notes on Rom. x. 4. In order that 
Timothy might fulfill the design of 
his appointment, it was necessary that 
he should have a correct view of the 
design of the* law. The teachers to 
whom he refers insisted much on its 
obligation and importance ; and Paul 
designs to say that he did not intend 
to teach that the law was of no conse- 
quence, and was not, when properly 
understood, obligatory. Its nature and 
use, however, was not correctly under- 
stood by them, and hence it was of 
great importance for Timothy to in- 
culcate correct views of the purpose 
for which it was given. The word 
" commandment 1 ' here some have un- 
derstood of the Gospel (Doddridge), 
others of the particular command 
which the apostle here gives to Tim- 
othy (Benson, Clark, and Macknight) ; 
but it seems more naturally to refer 
to all that God had commanded — his 
whole law. As the error of these 
teachers arose from improper views 
of the nature and design of law, Paul 
says that that design should be under- 
stood. It was not to produce distinc- 
tions and angry contentions, and was 
not to fetter the minds of Christians 
with minute and burdensome observ- 
ances, but it was to produce love. *jl Is 
charity. On the meaning of this word, 
see Notes on 1 Cor. xiii. 1. *H Out of 
a pure heart. The love which is gen- 
uine must proceed from a holy heart. 
The commandment was not designed 
to secure merely the outward expres- 
sions of love, but that which had its 
seat in the heart. ^ And of a good con- 
science. A conscience free from guilt. 
Of course there can be no genuine love 
to God where the dictates of conscience 
are constantly violated, or where a man 
knows that he is continually doing 
wrong. If any one wishes to have the 
evidence of love to God, he must keep 
a good conscience. All pretended love, 
where a man knows that he is living 
in sin, is mere hypocrisy. ^ And of 
faith unfeigned. Undissembled confi- 
dence in God. This does seem to be 
intended specifically of faith in the 
Lord Jesus, but it means that all true 
love to God, such as his law would 
produce, must be based on confidence 
in him. Row can any one have love 
to God who has no confidence in him ? 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



6 From which some having 
swerved, a have turned aside unto 
vain jangling ; 

7 Desiring to be teachers of the 
law ; understanding b neither what 
they say, nor whereof they affirm. 

1 or, not aiming at. ^ a 2 Tim. 4. 10. 



Can we exercise love to a professed 
friend in whom we have no confidence? 
Faith, then, is as necessary under the 
law as it is under the Gospel. 

6. From which some having swerved. 
Marg., not aiming at. The word here 
used — affTox^'w — means, properly, to 
miss the mark; to err; and 'then, to 
swerve from. Comp. ch. vi. 21 ; 2 Tim. 
ii. 18. It does not mean that they had 
ever had that from which they are said 
to have swerved — for it does not fol- 
low that a man who misses a mark 
had ever hit it— but merely that they 
failed of the things referred to, and 
had turned to vain talk. The word 
" which" (wi/), in the plural, refers not 
to the law, but to the things enumer- 
ated — a pure heart, a good conscience, 
and unfeigned faith. ^Have turned aside 
unto vain jangling. Vain talk, empty 
declamation, discourses without 
sense. The word here used does not 
mean contention or strife, but that 
kind of discourse which is not founded 
in good sense. They were discourses 
on their pretended distinctions in the 
law ; on their traditions and ceremo- 
nies; on their useless genealogies; and 
on the fabulous statements which they 
had appended to the law of Moses. 

7. Desiring to be teachers of the lavj. 
That is, to have the credit and reputa- 
tion of being well versed in the law 
of Moses, and qualified to explain it to 
others. This was a high honor among 
the Jews, and these teachers laid claim 
to the same distinction. *\\ Understand- 
ing neither what they say. That is, they 
do not understand the true nature and 
design of that law which they attempt 
to explain to others. This was true 
of the Jewish teachers, and equally so 
of those in the Church at Ephesus 
who attempted to explain it. They 
appear to have explained the law on 
the principles which commonly pre- 
vailed among the Jews, and hence 
their instructions tended greatly to 
corrupt the faith of the Gospel. They 
made affirmations of what they knew 
nothing of, and though they made con- 
fident asservations, yet they often per- 



8 But we know that the law is 
good, c if a man use it lawfully ; 

9 Knowing this, that d the law is 
not made for a righteous man, but 
for the lawless and disobedient, 
for the ungodly and for sinners, for 

b Rom. 1.23. c Rom. 7. 12. d Gal. 5. 23. 



tained to things about which they 
had no knowledge. One needs only a 
slight acquaintance with the manner 
of teaching among Jewish Rabbies, or 
with the things found in their tradi- 
tions, to see the accuracy of this state- 
ment of the apostle. A sufficient illus- 
tration of this may be found in Allen's 
Modern Judaism. 

8. But we know that the law is good. 
We admit this ; it is that which we all 
concede. This declaration is evidently 
made by the apostle to guard against 
the supposition that he was an ene- 
my of the law. Doubtless this charge 
would be brought against him, or 
against any one who maintained the 
sentiments which he had just express- 
ed. By speaking thus of what those 
teachers regarded as so important in 
the law, it would be natural for them 
to declare that he was an enemy of 
the law itself, and would be glad to 
see all its claims abrogated. Paul says 
that he designed no such thing. He 
admitted that the law was good. He 
was never disposed for one moment to 
call it in question. He only asked that 
it should be rightly understood and 
properly explained. Paul was never 
disposed to call in question the excel- 
lency and the utility of the law, how- 
ever it might bear on him or on oth- 
ers. Comp. Notes on Rom. vii. 12, and 
on Acts xxi. 21-26. ^ If a man use it 
lawfully. In a proper manner; for the 
purposes for which it was designed. 
It is intended to occupy a most im- 
portant place, but it should not be per- 
verted. Paul asked only that it should 
be used aright, and, in order to this, 
he proceeds to state what is its true 
design. 

9. Knowing this. That is, ' ' if any one 
knows or admits this, he has the prop- 
er view of the design of the law." 
The apostle does not refer particular- 
ly to himself as knowing or conceding 
this, for then he would have used the 
plural form of the participle (see the 
Greek), but he means that any one who 
had just views of the law would see 
that that which he proceeds to specify 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER I. 



117 



was its real purpose. H The law is not 
made for a righteous man. There lias 
been great variety in the interpreta- 
tion of this passage. Some suppose 
that the law here refers to the cere- 
monial laws of Moses ( Clarke, Eosen- 
midler, Abbot) ; others to the denunci- 
atory part of the law (Doddridge and 
Bloomfield) ; and others that it means 
that the chief purpose of the law was 
to restrain the wicked. It seems clear, 
however, that the apostle does not re- 
fer merely to the ceremonial law, for 
he specifies that which condemns the 
unholy and profane ; the murderers of 
fathers and mothers ; liars and perjured 
persons. It was not the ceremonial law 
which condemned these things, but the 
moral law. It can not be supposed, 
moreover, that the apostle meant to 
say that the law was not binding on a 
righteous man, or that he was under 
no obligation to obey it— for he every 
where teaches that the moral law is 
obligatory on all mankind. To suppose 
also that a righteous man is released 
from the obligation to obey the law, 
that is, to do right, is an absurdity. 
Nor does he seem to mean, as Mac- 
knight supposes, that the law was not 
given for the purpose of justifying a 
righteous man, for this was originally 
one of its designs. Had man always 
obeyed it, he would have been justified 
by it. The meaning seems to be, that 
the purpose of the law was not to fet- 
ter and perplex those who were right- 
eous, and who aimed to do their duty 
and to please God. It was not intend- 
ed to produce a spirit of servitude and 
bondage. As the Jews interpreted the 
law, it did this, and this interpretation 
appears to have been adopted by the 
teachers at Ephesus to whom Paul re- 
fers. The whole tendency of their 
teaching was to bring the soul into a 
state of bondage, and to make religion 
a condition of servitude. Paul teach- 
es, on the other hand, that religion is 
freedom, and that the main purpose 
of the law was not to fetter the minds 
of the righteous by numberless ob- 
servances and minute regulations, but 
that it was to restrain the wicked from 
sin. This is the case with all law. No 
good man feels himself fettered and 
manacled by wholesome laws, nor does 
he feel that the purpose of law is to 
reduce him to a state of servitude. It 
is only the wicked who have this feel- 
ing, and in this sense the law is made 
for a man who intends to do wrong. 



IT For the lawless. To bind and restrain 
them. The word here used means, 
properly, those who have no law, and 
then, those who are transgressors — 
the wicked. It is rendered transgress- 
ors in Matt; xv. 28 ; Luke xxii. 37 ; and 
wicked, Acts ii. 23 ; 2 Thess. ii. 8. If And 
disobedient. Those who are insubordi- 
nate and refractory. The word prop- 
erly means those who are under no 
subjection or authority. It occurs in 
the New Testament only here and Ti- 
tus i. 6, 10, where it is rendered unru- 
ly, and Heb. ii. 8, where it is translated 
not put under; that is, under Christ. 
IT For the ungodly. Those who have 
no religion; who do not worship or 
honor God. The Greek word occurs 
in the following places, in all of which 
it is rendered ungodly. Rom. iv. 5 : v. 
6 ; 1 Tim. i. 9 ; 1 Pet. iv. 18 ;* 2 Pet. ii. 
5; iii. 7; Jude iv. 15. The meaning is, 
that the law is against all who do not 
worship or honor God. ^ And for sin- 
ners. The word used here is the com- 
mon word to denote sinners. It is gen- 
eral, and includes sins of all kinds. 
H For unholy. 4 ' Those who are regard- 
less of duty to God or man." — Robin- 
son, Lex. The word occurs in the New 
Testament only here, and in 2 Tim. iii. 
2. It has particular reference to those 
who fail of their duty toward God, and 
means those who have no piety ; who 
are irreligious. And profane. This 
does not necessarily mean that they 
were profane in the sense that they 
blasphemed the name of God, or were 
profane swearers — though the word 
would include that — but it means, 
properly, those who are impious, or 
who are scoffers. See Notes on Heb. 
xii. 16. The word occurs only in the 
following places, in all of which it is 
rendered profane. 1 Tim. i. 9 ; iv. 7; 
vi. 20 ; 2 Tim. ii. 16 ; Heb. xii. 16. A 
man who treats religion with con- 
tempt, mockery, or scorn, would cor- 
respond with the meaning of the word. 
IT For murderers of fathers. The Greek 
properly means a smiter of a father 
(Robinson), though here it undoubted- 
ly means a parricide. This was ex- 
pressly forbidden by the law of Moses, 
and was a crime punishable by death. 
Exod. xxi. 15. It is said to have been 
a crime which the Roman law did not 
contemplate as possible, and hence 
that among the Romans there was no 
enactment against it. It is, indeed, a 
crime of the highest order ; but facts 
have shown that if the Romans sup- 



118 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



unholy and profane, for murder- 
ers of fathers and murderers of 
mothers, for manslayers, 

10 For whoremongers, for them 
that defile themselves with man- 



posed it would never be committed, 
they did not judge aright of human 
nature. There is no sin which man will 
not commit if unrestrained, and there 
is in fact no conceivable form of crime 
of which he has not been guilty. If Mur- 
derers of mothers. A still more atro- 
cious and monstrous crime, if possible, 
than the former. We can conceive 
nothing superior to this in enormity, 
and yet it has been committed. Nero 
caused his mother to be murdered, and 
the annals of crime disclose the names 
of not a few who have imbrued their 
hands in the blood of those who bare 
them. This was also expressly for- 
bidden by the law of Moses. Exod. xxi. 
15. If For manslayers. This word oc- 
curs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment. It means a homicide— a mur- 
derer. Thecrimeis expressly forbidden 
by the law. Exod. xx. 13 ; Gen. ix. 6. 

10. For whoremongers. Lev. xix. 29 ; 
xx. 5. For them that defile themselves 
with mankind. Sodomites. See the 
evidence that this crime abounded in 
ancient times, in the Notes on Rom. i. 
27. It was forbidden by the law of 
Moses, and was punishable with death. 
Lev. xx. 13. If For menstealers. The 
word here used — avdpa7rooL<jTifc — oc- 
curs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment. It properly means one who 
steals another for the purpose of mak- 
ing him a slave— a kidnapper. This 
is the common way in which men are 
made slaves. Some, indeed, are taken 
in war and sold as slaves, but the mass 
of those who have been reduced to 
servitude have become slaves by being 
kidnapped. Children are 'stolen from 
their parents, or wives from their hus- 
bands, or husbands from their wives, 
or parents from their children, or whole 
families are stolen together. None 
become slaves voluntarily, and conse- 
quently the whole process of making 
slaves partakes of the nature of theft 
of the worst kind. What theft is like 
that of stealing a man's children; his 
wife ; his father ; his mother ? The 
guilt of manstealing is incurred essen- 
tially by those who purchase those who 
are thus stolen— as the purchaser of 



kind, for menstealers, for liars, for 
perjured persons, and if there be 
any other thing that is contrary to 
sound a doctrine ; 
11 According to the glorious Gos- 

a 2 Tim. 4. 3. Tit. 1.9. 



a stolen horse, knowing it to be so, 
participates in the crime. A measure 
of that criminality also adheres to all 
w T ho own slaves, and who thus main- 
tain the system — for it is a system 
known to have been originated by 
theft. This crime was expressly for- 
bidden by the law of God, and was 
made punishable with death. Exod. 
xxi. 16; Deut.xxiv.7. ^ For liars. Lev. 
vi. 2-4 ; xix. 11. ^ For perjured per- 
sons. Those who swear falsely. Lev. 
xix. 12; vi.3; Exod.xx.7. ^ Andif there 
be any other thing that is contrary to 
sound doctrine. To sound or correct 
teaching— -for so the word doctrine 
means. The meaning is, if there is 
any thing else that is opposed to the 
instruction which the law of God 
gives. 

11. According to the glorious Gospel. 
The Gospel is' a system of divine rev- 
elation. It makes known the will of 
God. It states what is duty, and ac- 
cords in its great principles with the 
law, or is in harmony with it. The 
law, in principle, forbids all which the 
Gospel forbids, and in publishing the 
requirements of the Gospel, therefore, 
Paul says that the law really forbade 
all which was prohibited in the Gos- 
pel, and was designed to restrain all 
who would act contrary to that Gos- 
pel. There is no contradiction between 
the law and the Gospel. They forbid 
the same things, and, in regard to mor- 
als and true piety, the clearer revela- 
tions of the Gospel are but carrying 
out the principles stated in the law. 
They who preach the Gospel, then, 
should not be regarded as arrayed 
against the law, and Paul says that 
they who preached the Gospel aright 
really stated the true principles of the 
law. This he evidently intends should 
bear against the false teachers who 
professed to explain the law of Moses. 
He means here that if a man wished 
to explain the law, the best explana- 
tion would be found in that Gospel 
which it was his office to publish. 
Comp. Rom. iii. 31. ^ Of the blessed 
God. Revealed by the blessed God — 
the same God who was the Author of 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER I. 



119 



pel of the blessed a God, which b 
was committed to my trust. 

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our 
Lord, who hath enabled c me, for 

ac. 6. 15. 6 1 Cor. 9. 17. c 1 Cor. 15. 10. 



the law. Which icas committed to my 
trust. Not to him alone, but to him 
in common with others. He had re- 
ceived it directly from the Lord. 1 
Cor. ix. 17. Comp. Notes on Gal. i. 1. 

12. And I thank Christ Jesus our 
Lord. The mention of the Gospel 
(ver. 11), and of the fact that it was 
committed to him, leads the apostle 
to express his gratitude to him who 
had called him to the work of preach- 
ing it. The Lord Jesus had arrested 
him when he was a blasphemer and a 
persecutor. He had constrained him 
to leave his career of persecution and 
blasphemy, and to consecrate himself 
to the defense and the propagation of 
the Gospel. For all this, though it 
had required him to give up his favor- 
ite projects in life, and all the flatter- 
ing schemes of ambition, he now felt 
that praise was due to the Redeemer. 
If there is any thing for which a good 
man will be thankful, and shoufd be 
thankful, it is that he has been so di- 
rected by the Spirit and Providence 
of God as to be put into the ministry. 
It is, indeed, a work of toil and of 
self-denial, demanding many sacrifices 
of personal ease and comfort. It re- 
quires a man to give up his splendid 
prospects of worldly distinction, of 
wealth, and of ease. It is often iden- 
tified with want, and poverty, and 
neglect, and persecution. But it is an 
office so honorable, so excellent, so 
noble, and so ennobling ; it is attend- 
ed with so many precious comforts 
here, is so useful to the world, and it 
has such promises of blessedness and 
happiness in the world to come, that, 
7io matter what a man is required to give 
up in order to become a minister of the 
Gospel, he should be thankful to Christ 
for putting him into the office. A 
minister, when he comes to die, feels 
that the highest favor which Heaven 
has conferred on him has been in 
turning his feet away from the paths 
of ambition, and the pursuits of ease 
or gain, and leading him to that holy 
work to which he has been enabled to 
consecrate his life. T Who hath en- 
abled me. Who has given me ability 
or strength for this service. The apos- 



that he counted me faithful, d put- 
ting € me into the ministry ; 

13 Who was before-^ a blasphem- 
er, and a persecutor, and injurious: 

(U Cor. 7. 25. e Col. 1.25. 

/Acts 8. 3. 1 Cor. 15. 9. 

tie traced to the Lord Jesus the fact 
that he was in the ministry at all, and 
all the ability which he had to perform 
the duties of that holy office. It is 
not necessary here to suppose, as 
many have done, that he refers to 
miraculous power conferred on him, 
but he makes the acknowledgment 
which any faithful minister would do, 
that all the strength which he has to 
perform the duties of his office is de- 
rived from Christ. Comp. Notes on 
John xv. 5 ; 1 Cor. xv. 10. % Foi* that 
he counted me faithful. This is equiv- 
alent to saying that he reposed confi- 
dence in me. It means that there was 
something in the character of Paul, 
and in his attachment to the Saviour, 
on which reliance could be placed, or 
that there was that which gave the 
assurance that' he would be faithful. 
A sovereign, when he sends an em- 
bassador to a foreign court, reposes 
confidence in him, and would not com- 
mission him unless he had reason to 
believe that he would be faithful. So 
it is in reference to all who are called 
by the Redeemer into the ministry. 
They are his embassadors to a lost 
world. His putting them into the 
ministry is an act expressive of great 
confidence in them — for he commits 
to them great and important interests. 
Learn hence, (1.) that no one ought to 
regard himself as called to the minis- 
try who is not "faithful" to his Mas- 
ter ; and (2.) that the office of the min- 
istry is most honorable and responsi- 
ble. Nowhere else are there so great 
interests intrusted to man. 

13. Who was fiffore a blasphemer. This 
does not mean that Paul before his 
conversion was what would now be 
regarded as an open blasphemer ; that 
he was one who abused and reviled 
sacred things ; or one who was in the 
habit of profane swearing. His char- 
acter appears to have been just the 
reverse of this, for he was remarkable 
for treating what he regarded as sa- 
cred with the utmost respect. See 
Notes on Phil. iii. 4-6. The meaning 
is, that he had in fact, though ignorant- 
ly and in unbelief, reviled the name 
of Christ, and opposed him and his 



120 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



but I obtained mercy, because I 
did it ignorantly a in unbelief. 

14 And the grace of our Lord 
was exceeding abundant with 

a Luke 23. 34. 

cause, not believing that he was the 
Messiah ; and in thus opposing him 
he had been actually guilty of blas- 
phemy. The true Messiah he had in 
fact treated with contempt and re- 
proaches, and he now looked back 
upon that fact with the deepest mor- 
tification, and with winder that one 
who had been so treated by him should 
have been willing to put him into the 
ministry. On the meaning of the word 
blaspheme, see Notes on Matt. ix. 3. 
Comp. Acts xxvi. 11. In his conduct 
as here referred to, Paul elsewhere 
says that he thought at the time that 
he was doing what he ought to do 
(Acts xxvi. 9); here he says that he 
now regarded it as blasphemy. Learn 
hence that men may have very differ- 
ent views of their conduct when they 
come to look at it in subsequent life. 
What they now regard as harmless, 
or even as right and proper, may here- 
after overwhelm them with shame and 
remorse. The sinner will yet feel the 
deepest self-reproaches for that which 
now gives him no uneasiness. U And 
a persecutor. Acts ix. 1, seq. ; xxii. 4; 
xxvi. 11; 1 Cor. xv. 9; Gal. i. 13, 23. 
^And injurious. The word here used 
(vppivTris) occurs only in one other 
place in the New Testament, Bom. i. 
30, where it is rendered despiteful. The 
word injurious does not quite express 
its force. It does not mean merely 
doing injury, but refers rather to the 
manner or spirit in which it is done. 
It is a word of intenser signification 
than either the word "blasphemer" 
or "persecutor," and means that what 
he did was done with a proud, haugh- 
ty, insolent spirit. Tfeere was wicked 
and malicious violence, a degree of 
arrogance, and spirit of overbearing 
and intolerance in what he did, which 
greatly aggravated the wrong that 
was done. Comp. the Greek in Matt, 
xxii. 6; Luke xi. 45; xviii. 32; Acts 
xiv. 5; 1 Thess. ii. 2; 2 Cor. xii. 10, 
for illustrations of the meaning of the 
word. Tindal and Coverdale render 
it here " t y r a n t . " ^ But I obtained 
mercy, because I did it ignorantly in un- 
belief. Compare Notes on Luke xxiii. 
84. The ignorance and unbelief of 
Paul were not such excuses for what 



faith and love which is in Christ 
Jesus. 

15 This is a faithful h saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation, that 

b 2 Tim. 2.11. Tit. 3. 8. 

he did that they would wholly free 
him from blame, nor did he regard 
them as such — for what he did was 
with a violent and wicked spirit — but 
they were mitigating circumstances. 
They served to modify his guilt, and 
were among the reasons why God had 
mercy on him. What is said here, 
therefore, accords with what the Sav- 
iour said in his prayer for his murder- 
ers : "Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do." It is un- 
doubtedly true that persons who sin 
ignorantly, and who regard them- 
selves as right in what they do, are 
much more likely to obtain mercy 
than those who do wrong designedly. 

14. And the grace of our Lord was ex- 
ceeding abundant. That is, in his con- 
version under these circumstances, 
and in the aid which was afterward 
imparted to him in his work, ^ With 
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 
Accompanied with the exercise of faith 
and love ; or producing faith and love. 
The grace which was imparted to him 
was seen in the faith and love which 
it produced. See Notes on 1 Cor. xv. 
10. 

15. This is afaitlful saying. Greek, 
" Faithful is the word," or doctrine — 
o \0y09. This verse has somewhat the 
character of a parenthesis, and seems 
to have been thrown into the midst 
of the narrative because the mind of 
the apostle was full of the subject. 
He had said that, he, a great sinner, 
had obtained mercy. This naturally 
led him to think of the purpose for 
which Christ came into the world — to 
save sinners — and to think how strik- 
ingly that truth had been illustrated 
in his own case, and how that case 
had shown that it was worthy the at- 
tention of all men. The word render- 
ed "saying" means in this place doc- 
trine, posit%07i, or declaration. The 
word "faithful," means assuredly true ; 
it was that which might be depended 
on, or on which reliance might be 
placed. The meaning is, that the doc- 
trine that Christ came to save sinners 
might be depended on as certainly 
true. Comp. 2 Tim. ii. 11; Titus' iii. 
8. \ And worthy of all acceptation. 
Worthy to be embraced or believed 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER I. 



121 



by all. This is so, because (1.) all are 
sinners and need a Saviour. All, 
therefore, ought to welcome a doc- 
trine which shows them how they may 
be saved. (2. ) Because Christ died for 
all. If he had died for only a part of 
the race, and could save only a part, 
it could not be said with any propriety 
that the doctrine was worthy of the 
acceptance of ? 1 all. ' ' If that were so, 
what had it to do with all? How 
could all be interested in it or bene- 
fited by it ? If medicine were provided 
for only a part of the patients in a 
hospital, it could not be said that the 
announcement of such a fact was wor- 
thy the attention of all. It would be 
highly worthy the attention of those 
for whom it was designed, but there 
would be a part who would have noth- 
ing to do with it; and why should 
they concern themselves about it? 
But if it was provided for each one, 
then each one would have the highest 
interest in it. So, if salvation has 
been provided for. me, it is a matter 
claiming my profoundest attention; 
and the same is true of every human 
being. If not provided for me, I have 
nothing to do with it. It does not 
concern me at all. (3.) The manner 
in which the provision of salvation 
has been made in the Gospel is such 
as to make it worthy of universal ac- 
ceptation. It provides for the com- 
plete pardon of sin, and the restora- 
tion of the soul to God. This is done 
in a way that is honorable to God- 
maintaining his law and his justice; 
and, at the same time, it is in a way 
that is honorable to man. He is treat- 
ed afterward as a friend of God, and 
an heir of life. He is raised up from 
his degradation, and restored to the 
favor of his Maker. If man were him- 
self to suggest a way of salvation, he 
could think of none that would be 
more honorable to God and to himself ; 
none that would do more to maintain 
the law and to elevate him from all 
that now degrades him. What high- 
er honor can be conferred on man than 
to have his salvation sought as an ob- 
ject of intense and earnest desire by one 
so great and glorious as the Son of 
God ? (4. ) It is worthy of all accepta- 
tion, from the nature of the salvation 
itself. Heaven is offered, with all its 
everlasting glories, through the blood 
of Christ — and is not this worthy of 
universal acceptation? Men would 
accept of a coronet or crown ; asplen- 
F 



did mansion or a rich estate ; a pres- 
ent of jewels and gold, if freely ten- 
dered to them — but what trifles are 
these compared with heaven! If 
there is any thing that is worthy of 
universal acceptation, it is heaven — for 
all will be miserable unless they enter 
there. *[[ That Christ Jesus, came into 
the world to save sinners. The great and 
peculiar doctrine of the Gospel. He 
"came into the world." He therefore 
had a previous existence. He came. 
He had, therefore, an object in coming. 
It makes his Gospel more worthy of 
acceptation that he had an intention, 
a plan, a wish, in thus coming into the 
world. He "came" when he was un- 
der no necessity of coming ; he came 
to save, not to destroy; to reveal 
mercy, not to denounce judgment ; to 
save simiers — the poor, the lost, the 
wandering— not to condemn them ; he 
came to restore them to the favor of 
God, to raise them up from their deg- 
radation, and to bring them to heaven. 
^ Of whom I am chief . Gr., first The 
word is used to denote eminence, and 
it means that he occupied the first 
rank among sinners. There were none 
who surpassed him. This does not 
mean that he had been the greatest 
of sinners in all respects, but that in 
some respects he had been so great a 
sinner that on the whole there were 
none w r ho had surpassed him. That 
to which he particularly refers was 
doubtless the part which he had taken 
in putting the saints to death ; but in 
connection with this, he felt, undoubt- 
edly, that he had by nature a heart 
eminently prone to sin. See Romans 
vii. Except in the matter of perse- 
cuting the saints, the youthful Saul 
of Tarsus appears to have been emi- 
nently moral, and his outward con- 
duct was framed in accordance with 
the strictest rules of the law. Phil, 
iii. 6 ; Acts xxvi. 4, 5. After his con- 
version he never attempted to exten- 
uate his conduct or to excuse himself. 
He was always ready, in all circles and 
in all places, to admit to its fullest 
extent the fact that he was a sinner. 
So deeply convinced was he of the 
truth of this that he bore about with 
him the constant impression that he 
was eminently unworthy ; and hence 
he does not say merely that he had 
been a sinner of most aggravated char- 
acter, but he speaks of it as something 
that always pertained to him — "of 
whom I am chief. ' > We may remark, 



122 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



Christ Jesus came a into the world 
to save sinners; of whom I am 
chief. 

a Matt. 9. 13. Luke 19. 10. 

(1.) that a true Christian will always 
be ready to admit that his past life 
has been evil; (2.) that this will be- 
come the abidiDg and steady convic- 
tion of the soul; and (3.) that an ac- 
knowledgment that we are sinners is 
not inconsistent with evidence of pi- 
ety, and with high attainments in it. 
The most eminent Christian has the 
deepest sense of the depravity of his 
own heart, and of the evil of his past 
life. 

16. Hotvbeit for this cause. That is, 
this was one of the causes, or this was 
a leading reason. We are not to sup- 
pose that this was the only one. God 
had other ends to answer by his con- 
version than this, but this was one 
of the designs why he was pardoned 
— that there might be, for all ages, a 
permanent proot that sins of the deep- 
est dye may be forgiven. It was well 
to have one such example at the out- 
set, that a doubt might never arise 
about the possibility of forgiving 
great transgressors. The question 
thus would be settled forever. «U That 
in me first. Not first in the order of 
time, as our translation would seem 
to imply, but that in me the first or 
chief of sinners s/ulol 717x01-0)) he 
might show an example. The idea is, 
that he sustained the first rank as a 
sinner, and that Jesus Christ designed 
to show mercy to him as such, in or- 
der that the possibility of pardoning 
the greatest sinners might be evinced, 
and that no one might afterward de- 
spair of salvation on account of the 
greatness of his crimes. IT Might show 
forth all long-suffering. The highest 
possible degree of forbearance, in or- 
der that a case might never occur 
about which there could be any doubt 
whether the Lord Jesus was forbear- 
ing and ready to pardon. It was shown 
by his example that he could evince 
any possible degree of patience, and 
could have mercy on the greatest im- 
aginable offenders. If For a pattern. 
vTTOTvirwviv. This word occurs no- 
where else in the New Testament, ex- 
cept in 2 Tim. i. 13, where it is ren- 
dered form. It properly means a 
form, a sketch, or an imperfect de- 
lineation. Then it denotes a pattern 
or example, and here it means that 



16 Howbeit for this cause I ob- 
tained mercy, that in me first Je- 
sus Christ might shew forth all 



the case of Paul was an example for 
the encouragement of sinners in all 
subsequent times. It was that to 
which they might look when they de- 
sired forgiveness and salvation. It 
furnished all the illustration and ar- 
gument which they would need to 
show that they might be forgiven. 
It settled the question forever that 
the greatest sinners may be pardoned ; 
for, as he was " the chief of sinners," 
it proved that a case could not occur 
which was beyond the possibility of 
mercy. Tf Which should hereafter be- 
lieve on him to life everlasting. All might 
learn from the mercy shown to him 
that salvation could be obtained. 
From this verse we may learn (1.) that 
no sinner should despair of mercy. 
No one should say that he is so great 
a sinner that he can not be forgiven. 
One who regarded himself as the 
u chief" of sinners was pardoned, and 
pardoned for the very purpose of il- 
lustrating this truth, that any sinner 
may be saved. His example stands 
as the illustration of this to all ages ; 
and were there no other, any sinner 
might now come and hope for mere}'. 
But there are other examples. Sin- 
ners of all ranks and descriptions have 
been pardoned. Indeed, there is no 
form of depravity of which men can 
be guilty, in respect to which there 
are not instances where just such of- 
fenders have been forgiven. The per- 
secutor may reflect that great enemies 
of the Cross like him have been par- 
doned ; the profane man and the blas- 
phemer, that many such have been 
forgiven ; the murderer, the thief, the 
sensualist, that many of the same char- 
acter have found mercy, and have been 
admitted to heaven. (2.) The fact that 
great sinners have been pardoned is a 
proof that others of the same descrip- 
tion may be also. The same mercy 
that saved them can save us — for mer- 
cy is not exhausted by being frequent- 
ly exercised. The blood of atone- 
ment which has cleansed so many 
can cleanse us — for its efficacy is not 
exhausted by being once applied to 
the guilty soul. Let no one then de- 
spair of obtaining mercy because he 
feels that his sins are too great to be 
forgiven. Let him look to the past, 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER I. 



123 



long-suffering, for a pattern a to 
them which should hereafter be- 
lieve on him to life everlasting. 
17 Now unto the King b eternal, 

a Rom. 15.4. b Psa. 10. 16. cc. 6. 15, 16. 

and remember what God has done. 
Let him remember the case of Saul of 
Tarsus ; let him think of David and 
Peter; let him recall the names of 
Augustine, and Col. Gardiner, and the 
Earl of Rochester, and John Newton, 
and John Bunyan — and thousands like 
them, who have found mercy; and in 
their examples let him see a full proof 
that God is willing to save any sinner, 
no matter how vile, provided he is 
penitent and believing. 

17. Now unto the King eternal. This 
ascription of praise is offered to God 
in view of the mercy which he had 
shown to so great a sinner. It is the 
outbreak of that grateful emotion 
which swelled his bosom, and which 
would not be denied expression, when 
Paul recalled his former life and the 
mercy of God to his soul. It some- 
what interrupts, indeed, the train of 
his remarks, but the heart was so full 
that it demanded utterance. It is just 
an instance of the joy and gratitude 
which fill the soul of a Christian when 
he is led along in a train of reflections 
which conduct him to the recollection 
of his former sin and danger, and to 
the fact that he has obtained mercy 
and has now the hope of heaven. The 
apostle Paul not unfrequently, in ac- 
cordance with a mode of writing that 
was common among the Hebrews, 
interposes an expression of praise in 
the midst of his reasonings. Comp. 
Rom. i. 25 ; 2 Cor. xi. 31. God is called 
King here, as he is often in the Scrip- 
tures, to denote that he rules over the 
universe. A literal translation of the 
passage would be, "To the King of 
ages, who is immortal," etc. The 
meaning of this expression — "the 
King of ages" — fiaaiXtl t<x>v aiwviov — 
is, that he is aking~who rules through- 
out all ages. This does not mean that 
he himself lives forever, but that his 
dominion extends over all ages or 
generations. The rule of earthly mon- 
archs does not extend into successive 
ages ; his does. Their reign is tempo- 
rary; his is enduring, and continues 
as one generation after another passes 
on, and thus embraces them all. If Im- 
mortal. This refers to God himself, 
not to his reign. It means that he 



immortal, 6 invisible, d the only 
wise e God, be honour and glory 
for ever and ever. Amen. 
18 This charge I commit unto 

d John 1.18. eRom. 16. 27. / 1 Chron. 29. 11. 

does not die, and it is given to him 
to distinguish him from other sover- 
eigns. All other monarchs but God 
expire, and are just as liable to die at 
any moment as any other men. ^In- 
visible. Ch. vi. 16. See Notes on John 
i. 18. 1 The only wise God. See Notes 
on Rom. xvi. 27. The word "wise" is 
wanting in many MSS., and in some 
editions of the New Testament. It 
is omitted by Griesbach, marked as 
doubtful by Tittman, and rejected in 
the valuable edition of Hahn. Eras- 
mus conjectures that it was added 
against the Arians, who maintained 
that the Father only was God, and 
that as he is here mentioned as such, 
the word wise was interpolated to de- 
note merely that the attribute of per- 
fect wisdom belonged only to him. 
Wetstein regards the reading as gen- 
uine, and suspects that in some of the 
early manuscripts where it is wantiug 
it was omitted by the transcriber be- 
cause it was regarded as inelegant for 
two adjectives" to be united in this 
manner. It is not easy to determine 
as to the genuineness of the reading. 
The sense is not materially affected, 
whichever view be adopted. It is 
true that Jehovah is the only God, it 
is also true that he is the only wise 
God. The gods of the heathen are 
" vanity and a lie," and they are whol- 
ly destitute of wisdom. See Psa. cxv. 
3-8; cxxxv. 15-18; Isa, xl. 18-20; xliv. 
10-17. 1 Be honor. Let there be all 
the respect and veneration shown to 
him which is his due. ^ And glory. 
Praise. Let him be praised by all for- 
ever. 1[ Amen. So be it ; an expres- 
sion of strong affirmation. John iii. 3. 
Here it is used to denote the solemn 
assent of the heart to the sentiment 
conveyed by the words used. See 
Notes on Matt. vi. 13 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 16. 

18. This charge. This command or 
injunction. It does not refer to any 
"charge," or " cure," which he had 
as bishop or minister, as the word is 
sometimes used now, but to the com- 
mands or injunctions which he was 
delivering to him. The command 
particularly referred to is that in ver. 
8. H According to the prophecies which 
went before on thee. The general mean- 



124 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



thee, son Timothy, according a to 
the prophecies which went before 
on thee, that thou by them might- 
est war a good warfare ; 

a c. 4. 14. 

ing of this is plain. It is that Paifl 
was committing to Timothy an im- 
portant trust, and one that required 
great wisdom and fidelity; and that 
in doing it he was acting in conform- 
ity with the hopes which had been 
cherished respecting Timothy, and 
with certain expressed anticipations 
about his influence in the Church. 
From early life the hope had been en- 
tertained that he would be a man to 
whom important trusts might be com- 
mitted; and it had been predicted 
that he would be distinguished as a 
friend of religion. These hopes seem 
to have been cherished in consequence 
of the careful training in religion which 
he had had (2 Tim. ii. 1 ; iii. 15), and 
probably from the early indications 
of seriousness, prudence, and piety 
which he manifested. It was natural 
to entertain such hopes, and it seems, 
from this place, that such hopes had 
even assumed the form of predictions. 
It is not absolutely necessary to sup- 
pose that these predictions referred 
to by the word prophecies were in- 
spired, for the word may be used in 
a popular sense, as it is often now. 
We speak now familiarly of predicting 
or foretelling the future usefulness of 
a serious, prudent, studious, and pi- 
ous youth. We argue from what he 
is to what he will be, and we do not 
deem it unsafe or improper to hazard 
the prediction that, if he lives, he will 
be a man to whom important interests 
may be intrusted. As there were, how- 
ever, prophets in the Christian Church 
(See Notes on Acts xi. 27 ; 1 Cor. xiv.), 
and as it is possible that in some cases 
they were inspired to predict future 
events, it can not be regarded as im- 
proper to suppose that some of them 
had foretold the future usefulness of 
this religiously-educated youth. 
Whatever may be meant by the ex- 
pression, this general observation may 
be made, that when a young man en- 
ters on the active duties of life, and 
when great interests are intrusted to 
him, it is not improper to remind him 
of the hopes which had been cherished 
of him ; of the anticipations which 
had been formed of his future useful- 
ness ; and of the expressions which 



19 Holding b faith, and a good 
conscience, which some having 
put away, concerning faith have 
made shipwreck : 

be. 3.9. 

may have been used by the pious and 
the discerning respecting his future 
character. This is a kind of remi- 
niscence which will rather increase 
his sense of responsibility than flat- 
ter his vanity ; and it may be made a 
means of exciting him to diligence 
and fidelity. A virtuous young man 
will not willingly disappoint the long- 
cherished hopes of his friends. He 
will be likely to be made more dili- 
gent and useful by the remembrance 
of their fond anticipations of his fut- 
ure success. That thou ty them. By 
those prophecies. That is, that being 
stimulated and excited by those pre- 
dictions and hopes, you might be led 
to fidelity and usefulness. 1[ Mightest 
war a good warfare. The Christian life 
is often compared to a warfare or 
struggle for victory (comp. Eph. vi. 
10-17; 1 Cor. ix. 7; 2 Cor. iv. 4), and 
the services of the Christian ministry 
especially are likened to those of a 
soldier. 2 Tim. ii. 3, 4; iv. 7. The 
meaning here is, that he ought to con- 
tend with earnestness as a Christian 
and a minister in that holy service in 
which he was engaged, and endeavor 
to secure the victory. He "wars a 
good warfare" who is engaged in a 
righteous cause; who is faithful to 
his commander and to his post ; who 
is unslumbering in observing the mo- 
tions of the enemy, and fearless in 
meeting them ; who never forsakes 
his standard, and who continues thus 
faithful till the period of his enlist- 
ment has expired, or till death. Such 
a soldier the Christian minister should 
be. 

19. Holding faith. Fidelity to the 
cause in which you are enlisted — as a 
good soldier should do. This does 
not mean that Timothy should hold 
to the system of doctrines revealed in 
the Gospel, but that he should have 
that fidelity which a good soldier 
should have. He should not betray 
his trust. He should adhere to the 
cause of his master with unwavering 
steadfastness. This would include, of 
course, a belief of the truth, but this 
is not the leading idea in the phrase. 
T[ And a good conscience. See Notes on 
Acts xxiii. 1. A good conscience, as 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER II. 



20 Of whom is Hymen eus and 
Alexander ; whom I have deliver- 



well as fidelity, is necessary in the serv- 
ice of the Redeemer. A good con- 
science is that which is well informed 
in regard to what is right, and where 
its dictates are honestly followed. 
If Which some having put away. That 
is, which good conscience some have put 
from them, or, in other words, they 
have not followed its dictates. The 
truth thus taught is, that men make 
shipwreck of their faith by not keep- 
ing a good conscience. They love sin. 
They follow the leadings of passion. 
They choose to indulge in carnal pro- 
pensities. As a matter of course, they 
must, if they will do this, reject and 
renounce the Gospel. Men become 
infidels because they wish to indulge 
in sin. No man can be a sensualist, 
and yet love that Gospel which enjoins 
purity of life. If men would keep a 
good conscience, the way to a steady 
belief in the Gospel would be easy. 
If men will not, they must expect 
sooner or later to be landed in infideli- 
ty. Concerning faith. In respect to 
the whole subject of faith. They are 
unfaithful to God, and they reject the 
whole system of the Gospel. ' 1 Faith' ' 
is sometimes used to denote the Gos- 
pel — as faith is the principal thing in 
the Gospel. Have made shipwreck. 
There is an entire destruction of faith 
— as a ship is wholly ruined that 
strikes on a rock and sinks. 

20. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexan- 
der. Hymeneus is nowhere else men- 
tioned in the New Testament, except 
in 2 Tim. ii. 17, where he is mentioned 
in connection with Philetus as a very 
dangerous man. An Alexander is 
mentioned in Acts xix. 33, which some 
have supposed to be the same as the 
one referred to here. It is not cer- 
tain, however, that the same person 
is intended. See Notes on that verse. 
In 2 Tim. iv. 14, Alexander the cop- 
persmith is mentioned as one who had 
clone the apostle "much evil," and 
there can be little doubt that he is 
the same person who is referred to 
here. One of the doctrines which 
Hymeneus held was that the " resur- 
rection was past already" (2 Tim. ii. 
18) ; but what doctrine Alexander held 
is unknown. It is not improbable, as 
he is mentioned here in connection 
with Hymeneus, that he maintained 



ed a unto Satan, that they may 
learn not to blaspheme. 

a 1 Cor. 5.5. 



the same opinion, and, in addition to 
that, he appears to have been guilty 
of some personal injury to the apostle. 
Both also were guilty of blasphemy. 
*f[ Whom I have delivered unto Satan. 
On the meaning of this expression, 
see Notes on 1 Cor. v. 5. % That they 
may learn not to blaspheme. It can not 
be supposed that Satan would under- 
take to teach them not to blaspheme, 
or that Paul put them under him as 
an instructor on that subject. The in- 
structions of Satan tend rather to 
teach his followers to blaspheme, and 
none in his school fail to be apt schol- 
ars. The meaning is, that Paul ex- 
communicated them, and not improb- 
ably brought upon them, by giving 
them over to Satan, some physical 
maladies, that they might be reformed. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. v. 5. It is not 
entirely clear what is meant by blas- 
pheme in this place. Comp. Notes ^>n 
ver. 13. It can not be supposed that 
they were open and bold blasphemers, 
for such could not have maintained a 
place in the Church, but rather that 
they held doctrines which the apostle 
regarded as amounting to blasphemy; 
that is, doctrines which were in fact 
a reproach on the divine character. 
There are many doctrines held by men 
which are in fact a reflection on the 
divine character, and which amount 
to the same thing as blasphemy. A 
blasphemer openly expresses views 
of the divine character which are a re- 
proach to God ; an errorist expresses 
the same thing in another way, by 
teaching as true about God that which 
represents him in a false light, and to 
suppose which, in fact, is a reproach. 
^The spirit with which this is done in 
the two cases may be different ; the 
thing itself may be the same. Let us 
be careful that we hold no views about 
God which are reproachful to him, 
and which, though we do not express 
it in words, may lead us to blaspheme 
him in our hearts. 

CHAPTER II. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter is occupied mainly 
with directions about the mode of 
conducting public worship. Timothy 
had been left at Ephesus to complete 
the plans which the apostle had com- 



ill 



I. TIMOTHY. 



CHAPTER II. 

I EXHORT, 1 therefore, that, first 
of all, supplications, prayers, in- 

1 or, desire. 

menced in reference to the Church 
there, but the completion of which 
had been unexpectedly prevented (see 
the In trod.), and it was important to 
state to Timothy the views which he 
entertained on this subject. It was 
important also that general directions 
on these subjects should be given, 
which would be useful to the Church 
at large. The directions in this chap- 
ter relate to the following subjects : 

I. Public prayer. Ver. 1-8. 

(l.)It was to be offered for all classes 
of men, without distinction of rank, 
sect, party, country, or name, espe- 
cially for all that were in authority. 
Vs. 1, 2. The reasons for this were, 
(a) That God desired all men to be 
saved, and it was acceptable to 
him that prayer should be offered 
for all. Vs. 3, 4. 
(f>) There is but one God over all the 
human race, and all are alike his 
children. Ver. 5. 

(c) There is one and the same Me- 
diator between God and all men. 
Ver. 5. 

(d) The same atonement has been 
made for all. Vs. 6, 7. 

(2.) The way in which prayer should 
be offered. It should be with holy 
hands, and without the intermingling 
of any bad passion. Ver. 8. 

II. The duties of women. Ver. 9-15. 
(1.) Modesty in their demeanor and 

apparel. Ver. 9. 

(2. ) Good works — the chief ornament 
of women professing piety. Ver. 10. 

(3.) The duty of learning from others 
with a gentle and quiet spirit. Ver. 11. 

(4. ) The duty of a proper subordina- 
tion and submission to man. Ver. 12. 

(5.) The reasons for this subordina- 
tion and submission are then stated. 
They are, 

(a) That Adam was first formed. 
Ver. 13. 

(b) That the woman had been de- 
ceived, and should be willing to 
occupy a subordinate place, as 
she was first in the transgression 
and was the means of leading him 
into sin. Ver. 14. 

(6.) Yet, as if to make a kind remark 
in favor of woman— to show that he 
did not intend to teach that she was 
degraded and abandoned of God— the 



[A.D. 58. 

tercessions, and giving of thanks, 
be made for all men ; 
2 For kings/ and for all that are 

a Rom. 13. 1, etc. 

apostle says that she would be under 
the divine protection, and that, in the 
special sorrow and peril which had 
been brought upon her for her trans- 
gression, God would sustain her if she 
continued in faith, and evinced the 
spirit of a Christian in her life. Ver. 15. 

1. 1 exhort, therefore. Marg., desire. 
The word exhort, however, better ex- 
presses the sense of the original. The 
exhortation here is not addressed par- 
ticularly to Timothy, but relates to 
all who were called to lead in public 
prayer. Ver. 8. This exhortation, it 
may be observed, is inconsistent with 
the supposition that a liturgy was then 
in use, or with the supposition that 
there ever would be a liturgy ; since, 
in that case, the objects to be prayed 
for would be prescribed. How singu- 
lar would it be now for an Episcopal 
bishop to "exhort" his presbyters to 
pray "for the President of the United 
States and for all who are in authori- 
ty." When the prayer is prescribed, 
do they not do this as a matter of 
course ? % First of all. That is, as the 
first duty to be enjoined; the thing 
that is to be regarded with primary 
concern. Comp. Luke xii. 1 ; 2 Pet. 
i. 20. It does not mean that this was 
to be the first thing in public worship 
in the order of time, but that it was 
to be regarded as a duty of primary 
importance. The duty of praying for 
the salvation of the whole world was 
not to be regarded as a subordinate 
and secondary thing. ^ Supplications. 
It is not entirely easy to mark the dif- 
ference in the meaning of the. words 
used here, and it is not essential. They 
all relate to prayer, and refer only to 
the different parts of prayer, or to dis- 
tinct classes of thought and desire 
which come before the mind in plead- 
ing for others. On the difference be- 
tween the words supplications and 
prayer, see Notes on Heb. v. 7. ^In- 
tercessions. The noun used here occurs 
only in this place and in ch. iv. 5 of 
this epistle. The verb, however (iv- 
Tvy \avui), occurs in Acts xxv. 4; Rom. 
viii. 27, 34 ; xi. 2 ; Heb. vii. 25. See the 
meaning explained in the Notes on 
Rom. viii. 26 ; Heb. vii. 25. There is 
one great Intercessor between God 



9 



CHAPTER II. 127 



A.D. 58.] 

in authority : 1 that we may lead 
a quiet and peaceable life in all 
godliness and honesty. 

1 or, eminent place. 

and man who pleads for our salvation 
on the ground of what he himself has 
done, but we are permitted to inter- 
cede for others, not on the ground of 
any merit which they or we possess, 
but on the ground of the merit of the 
great Advocate and Intercessor. It 
is an inestimable privilege to be per- 
mitted to plead for the "salvation of 
our fellow-men. *\\ Giving of thanks. 
That is, in behalf of others. We ought 
to give thanks for the mercy of God 
to ourselves; it is right and proper 
also that we should give thanks for 
the goodness of God to others. We 
should render praise that there is a 
way of salvation provided; that no 
one is excluded from the offer of mer- 
cy; and that God is using so many 
means to call lost sinners ^to himself. 
^ For all men. Prayers should be made 
for all men — for all need the grace and 
mercy of God ; thanks should be ren- 
dered for all — for all may be saved. 
Does not this direction imply that 
Christ died for all mankind? How 
could we give thanks in their behalf 
if there were no mercy for them, and 
if no way had been provided by which 
they could be saved? It may he ob- 
served here that the direction to pray 
and to give thanks for all men shows 
the large and catholic nature of Chris- 
tianity. It stands opposed entirely to 
the narrow and bigot ed feelings of the 
Jews, who regarded the whole Gen- 
tile world as excluded from covenant 
mercies, and as having no offer of life. 
Christianity threw down these barri- 
ers, and all men are on a level ; and 
since Christ has died for all, there is 
ample ground for thanksgiving and 
praise in behalf of the whole human 
race. 

2. For kings. On the respect due to 
rulers, see Notes on Rom. xiii. 1-7. 
The meaning here is, that while all 
men should be the subjects of prayer, 
those should be particularly remem- 
bered before the throne of grace who 
are in authority. The reason is that 
so much depends on their character 
and plans; that peace or war — the 
security of life, liberty, and property 
— depends so much on them. God 
has power to influence their hearts, 
and to incline them to what is just 



3 For this is good and accept- 
able in the sight of God our Sav- 
iour. 



and equal ; and hence we should pray 
that a divine influence may descend 
upon them. The salvation of a king 
is of itself of no more importance 
than that of a peasant or a slave ; but 
the welfare of thousands may depend 
on him, and hence he should be made 
the special subject of prayer. ^ All 
that are in authority. Marg., "or, emi- 
nent place." This does not necessarily 
mean those who hold office, but refers 
to any of elevated rank. The happi- 
ness of all who are under their con- 
trol depends greatly on them, and 
hence we should pray for them that 
they may be converted men, and in- 
clined to do that which is right. 
If That we may lead a quiet and peace- 
able life. That their hearts may be so 
inclined to what is right that they 
may protect us in the enjoyment of 
religion, and that we may not be op- 
posed or harassed by persecution. 
This does not mean that their pro- 
tection would dispose us to lead quiet 
and peaceful lives, but that under their 
protection we may be saved from op- 
pression on account of our religion. 
Christians are disposed of themselves 
to be peaceful and orderly ; they ask 
of their rulers only that they may not 
be harassed in the enjoyment of their 
rights. •[ In all godliness and honesty. 
In the practice of all our duties to- 
ward God, and of all the duties which 
we owe to men. The word godliness 
here denotes piety — or the duty which 
we owe to God ; the word honesty re- 
fers to our duties to our fellow-men. 
The Christian asks from civil rulers 
such protection that he may be ena- 
bled quietly to perform both these 
classes of duties. 

3. For this is good and acceptable. 
That is, it is good and acceptable to 
God that we should pray for all men. 
The reason is that he desires their 
salvation, and hence it is agreeable to 
him that we should pray for it. If 
there were no provision made for 
their salvation, or if he was unwilling 
that they should be saved, it could not 
be agreeable to him that we should 
offer prayer for them. 

4. Who will have all men to be saved. 
That is, it is in accordance with his 
nature, his feelings, his desires. The 



128 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



4 Who a will have all men to be 
saved, and to come unto the 
knowledge of the truth. 

a John 3. 15, 16. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 

word will can not be taken here in the 
absolute sense, denoting a decree like 
that by which he willed the creation 
of the world, for then it would cer- 
tainly be done. But the word is oft- 
en used to denote a desire, wish, or 
what is in accordance with the nature 
of any one. Thus it may be said of 
God that he "wills" that his creatures 
should be happy — because it is in ac- 
cordance with his nature, and because 
he has made abundant provision for 
their happiness — though it is not true 
that he wills it in the sense that he 
exerts his absolute power to make 
them happy. God wills that sickness 
should be relieved, and that sorrow 
should be mitigated, and that the op- 
pressed should go free, because it is 
agreeable to his nature; though it is 
not true that he wills it in the sense 
that he exerts his absolute power to 
produce it. A parent wills the wel- 
fare of his child. It is in accordance 
with his nature, his feelings, his de- 
sires ; and he makes every needful ar- 
rangement for it. If the child is not 
virtuous and happy, it is his own fault. 
So God wills that all men should be 
saved. It would be in accordance 
with his benevolent nature. He has 
made ample provision for it. He uses 
all proper means to secure their sal- 
vation. He uses no positive means 
to prevent it, and if they are not saved 
it is their own fault. For places in 
the New Testament where the word 
here translated" will" (StXu)) means to 
desire or wish, see Luke viii. 20 ; xxiii. 
8; John xvi. 19; Gal. iv. 20; Mark 
xvii. 24 ; 1 Cor. vii. 7 ; xi. 3 ; xiv. 5 ; 
Matt. xv. 28. This passage can not 
mean, as many have supposed, that 
God wills that all kinds of men should 
be saved, or that some sinners of every 
rank and class should be saved, be- 
cause (1.) the natural and obvious in- 
terpretation of the language is op- 
posed to such a sense. The language 
expresses the desire that " all men" 
should be saved, and we should not 
depart from the obvious sense of a 
passage unless necessity requires it. 
(2.) Prayer and thanksgiving (ver. 1) 
are directed to be offered not for some 
of all ranks and conditions, but for 
all mankind. No exception is made, 



5 For there is one 6 God, and one 
mediator c between God and men, 
the man Christ Jesus; 

b Rom. 3. 30. c Heb. 9.15. „ 

and no direction is given that we 
should exclude any of the race from 
the expressions of our sympathy, and 
from an interest in our supplications. 
The reason given here for that prayer 
is that God desires that "all men 
should be saved." But how could 
this be a reason for praying for all, if 
it means that he desired only the sal- 
vation of some of all ranks? (3.) In 
vs. 5 and 6, the apostle gives reasons 
showing that God wishes the salva- 
tion of all men, and those reasons are 
such as to prove that the language 
here is to be taken in the most un- 
limited sense. Those reasons are, (a) 
that there is one God over all, and 
one Mediator between God and men 
— showing that God is the Father of 
all, and has the same interest in all ; 
and (&) that Christ gave himself a ran- 
som for all — showing that God desired 
their salvation. This verse proves (1. ) 
that salvation is provided for all — for 
if God wished all men to be saved, he 
would undoubtedly make provision 
for their salvation ; and if he had not 
made such provision, it could not be 
said that he desired their salvation, 
since no one can doubt that he has 
power to provide for the salvation of 
all; (2.) that salvation should be of- 
fered to all men; for if God desires 
it, it is right for his ministers to an- 
nounce that desire, and it is not prop- 
er for them to announce any thing- 
contrary to this ; (3.) that men are to 
blame if they are not saved. If God 
did not wish their salvation, and if 
he had made no provision for it, they 
could not be to blame if they rejected 
the Gospel. If God wishes it, and has 
made provision for it, and they arercotf 
saved, the sin must be their own : and 
it is a great sin, for there is no greater 
crime which a man can commit than 
to destroy his own soul, and to make 
himself the eternal enemy of his Mak- 
er. And to come unto the knowledge 
of the truth. The truth which God 
has revealed; the "truth as it is in 
Jesus." See Notes on Eph. iv. 21. 

5. For there is one God. This is a 
reason for offering prayer for all men, 
and for the declaration (ver. 4.) that 
God desires that all men should be 
saved. The reason is founded on the 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER II. 



129 



6 Who gave himself a ransom a 
for all, to 1 be testified in due time. 

a Matt. 20. 28. 

fact that he is the common Father of 
the race, and that he must have the 
same desire for the welfare of all his 
children. He has made them of one 
blood (Acts xvii. 26), and he must have 
the same interest in the happiness of 
all. Comp. Notes on Eph. iv. 6 ; Rom. 
iii. 30. T[ And one Mediator between God 
and men. See Notes on Gal. iii. 19, 20 ; 
Heb. ix. 15. This also is given as a 
reason why prayer should be offered 
for all, and as a proof that God de- 
sires their salvation. The argument 
is, that there is the same Mediator be- 
tween God and all men. He is not 
the Mediator between God and a part 
of the human race, but between " God 
and men" implying that he desired 
the salvation of the race. Whatever 
love there was in giving the Mediator 
at all, was love for all the race ; what- 
ever can be argued from that about 
the interest which God has in man is 
proof of his interest in the race at 
large. It is proper, therefore, to pray 
for all. Let it be observed that there 
is but one Mediator. There is not one 
for kings and another for their sub- 
jects; one for the rich and another 
for the poor; one for the master and 
another for the slave. All are on the 
same level, and the servant may feel 
that, in the gift of a Mediator, God 
regarded him with the same interest 
that he did his master. It may be 
added also that the doctrine of the 
Papists, that the saints or the Virgin 
Mary may act as mediators to procure 
blessings for us, is false. There is but 
"one Mediator;" andbut one is neces- 
sary. Prayer offered to the "saints" 
or to the "Virgin" is essential idola- 
try, and at the same time it is a prac- 
tical denial of the great central doc- 
trine of Christianity that there is u one 
Mediator" who alone makes interces- 
sion for us with God. 1 John ii. 
1^ Isa. liii. 12 ; Heb. vii. 25. H The 
man Christ Jesus. Jesus was truly and 
properly a man, having a perfect hu- 
man body and soul, and is often called 
a man in the New Testament. But 
this does not prove that he was not 
also divine, any more than his being 
called God (John i, 1 ; xx. 28 ; Rom. 
ix. 5 ; 1 J ohn v. 20 ; Heb-. i. 8) proves 
that he was not also a man. The use 
of the word man here was probably 



7 Whereunto I am ordained a 
preacher, and an apostle, (I speak 

1 or, a testimony. 

designed to intimate that, though he 
was divine, it was in his human na- 
ture that we are to consider him as 
discharging the office. — Doddridge. 

6. Who gave himself a ransom for all. 
This also & stated as a reason why 
prayer shofnd be offered for all, and a 
proof that God desires the salvation 
of all. The argument is, that as Christ 
died for all, it is proper to pray for all, 
and that the fact that he died for all 
is proof that God desires the salvation 
of all. Whatever proof of his desire 
for their salvation can be derived from 
this in relation to any of the race is 
proof in relation to all. On the mean- 
ing of the phrase "he gave himself a 
ransom," see Notes on Matt. xx. 28; 
Rom. iii. 25. On the fact that it was 
for "a??," see Notes on 2 Cor. v. 14. 
H To be testified in due time. Marg., a 
testimony. The Greek is, "the testi- 
mony in its own times," or in prop- 
er times — to fiaprvpiov Kaipol^ 101019. 
There have been very different ex- 
planations of this phrase. The com- 
mon interpretation, and that which 
seems to me to be correct, is that "the 
testimony of this will be furnished in 
the proper time ; that is, in the prop- 
er time it will be made known through 
all the world. ' ' See Bosenmuller. Paul 
affirms it as a great and important 
truth that Christ gave himself a ran- 
som for all mankind — for Jews and 
Gentiles ; for all classes and condi- 
tions of men alike. This truth had 
not always been understood. The 
Jews had supposed that salvation was 
designed exclusively for their nation, 
and denied that it could be extended 
to others unless they became Jews. 
According to them, salvation was not 
provided for, or offered to heathens as 
such, but only on condition that they 
became Jews. In opposition to this, 
Paul says that it was a doctrine of 
revelation that redemption was pro- 
vided for all men, and that it was in- 
tended that the testimony to this 
should be afforded at the proper time. 
It was not fully made known under 
the ancient dispensation, but now the 
period had come when it should be 
communicated to all. Comp. Notes 
on Rom. v. 6, and Gal. iv. 4. 

7. Whereunto. Gr., " Unto which ;" 
that is, to the bearing of which tes- 



130 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



the truth in Christ and lie not ;) a 
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and 
verity. 

a John 4. 21. 

timony I am appointed, f I am or- 
dained. Gr., "I am placed or consti- 
tuted" — ItsSiiv. The word " ordain" 
has now acquired a technical signifi- 
cation, meaning to set ap|ra| solemnly 
to a sacred office by thdlmposition 
of hands ; but it has not this meaning 
here. It does not refer to the manner 
in which he was set apart, or to any 
act of others in consecrating him to 
this work, but merely to the fact that 
he had been placed in this office, or 
appointed to it. He refers doubtless 
to the fact that the Lord Jesus had 
designated him to this work. \A 
preacher, and an apostle. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. ix. 1-6; Gal. i. 11, 12. Tf / 
speak the truth in Christ, and lie not. 
That is, by Christ ; or I solemnly ap- 
peal to Christ — a form of an oath. 
See Notes on Rom. ix. 1. Paul makes 
a solemn declaration similar to this 
in regard to his call to the apostleship, 
in Gal. i. 20. For the reasons why he 
did it, see Notes on that verse. It is 
probable that there were those in 
Ephesus who denied that he could be 
an apostle, and hence his solemn dec- 
laration affirming it. ^ A teacher of 
the Gentiles. Specially appointed to 
carry the Gospel to the Gentiles or 
the heathen. See Notes on Rom. xi. 
13 ; Gal. ii. 7. ^ In faith and verity. 
These words mean that he was ap- 
pointed to instruct the Gentiles in 
faith, and in the knowledge of the 
truth. 

8. 1 will therefore. The Greek word 
here — (3ov\ofiai— is different from the 
word rendered will — — in ver. 4. 
The distinction is, that the word there 
used — 2ri\u) — denotes an active voli- 
tion or purpose ; the word here used 
— ^ov\oiJ.aL — a mere passive desire, 
propensity, willingness. — Rob., Lex. 
The meaning here is, "it is my will" 
— expressing his wish in the case, or 
giving direction— though using a mild- 
er word than that which is commonly 
employed to denote an act of will. 
1" That men pray every where. Not mere- 
ly in the Temple, or in other sacred 
places, but in all places. The Jews 
supposed that there was special effi- 
cacy in prayers offered at the Temple 
in Jerusalem; the heathen also had 
the same view in regard to their tem- 



8 I will therefore that men pray a 
every where, lifting up holy b hands, 
without wrath and doubting. 

b Heb. 10. 22. 

pies— for both seemed to suppose that 
they came nearer to God by approach- 
ing his sacred abode. Christianity 
teaches that God may be worshiped 
in any place, and that we are at all 
times equally near him. See Notes 
on John iv. 24; Acts xvii. 25. The 
direction here given that men should 
pray, in contradistinction from the 
duties of women, specified in the next 
verse, may be intended to imply that 
men should conduct the exercises of 
public worship. The duties of women 
pertain to a different sphere. Comp. 
vs. 11, 12. *H Lifting up holy hands. To 
lift up the hands denotes supplication, 
as it was a common attitude of prayer 
to spread abroad the hands toward 
heaven. Comp. Psa. lxviii. 31; Exod. 
xix 29,33; 1 Kings viii. 22; 2Chron.vi. 
12,13; Isa. i. 15. Seealso Horace, Odes, 
III.,xxiii.,l; Ovid, M., ix., 701 ; Livy, 
v., 21; Seneca, Ep., 21. "Holy hands" 
here mean hands that are not defiled 
by sin, and that have not been em- 
ployed for any purpose of iniquity. 
The idea is, that when men approach 
God they should do it in a pure and 
holy manner. H Without wrath. That 
is, without the intermingling of any 
evil passion ; with a calm, peaceful, 
benevolent mind. There should be 
nothing of the spirit of contention; 
there should be no anger toward oth- 
ers; the suppliant should be at peace 
with all men. It is impossible for a 
man to pray with comfort, or to sup- 
pose that his prayers will be heard, if 
he cherishes anger. The following ex- 
quisite and oft-quoted passage from 
Jeremy Taylor, is a more beautiful 
and striking illustration of the effect 
of anger in causing our prayers to re- 
turn unanswered than was probably 
ever penned by any one else. Noth- 
ing"could be more true, beautiful, and 
graphic. "Anger sets the house on 
fire, and all the spirits are busy upon 
trouble, and intend propulsion, de- 
fense, displeasure, or revenge. It is 
a short madness, and an eternal ene- 
my to discourse and a fair conversa- 
tion; it intends its own object with 
all the earnestness of perception or 
activity of design, and a quicker mo- 
tion of a too warm and distempered 
blood ; it is a fever in the heart, and 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER II. 



131 



9 In like manner also, that worn- ' sobriety, not with 1 broidered hair, 
en adorn themselves in modest or gold, or'pearls, or costly array ; 
apparel, with shamefacedness and ! 10 But (which becometh women 



1 or, plaited. 1 Pet. 3. 3. 



a calenture in the head, and a fire in 
the face, and a sword in the hand, and 
a fury all over ; and therefore can nev- 
er suffer a man to be in a disposition 
to pray. For prayer is the peace of 
our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, 
the evenness of recollection, the seat 
of meditation, the rest of our cares, 
and the calm of our tempest ; prayer 
is the issue of a quiet mind, of un- 
troubled thoughts ; it is the daughter 
of charity and the sister of meekness; 
and he that prays to God with an an- 
gry, that is, with a troubled and dis- 
composed spirit, is like him that re- 
tires into a battle to meditate, and sets 
up his closet in the out-quarters of 
an army, and chooses a frontier garri- 
son to be wise in. Anger is a perfect 
alienation of the mind from prayer, 
and therefore is contrary to that at- 
tention which presents our prayers in 
a right line to God. For so have I 
seen a lark rising from his bed of grass, 
and soaring upward, and singing as he 
rises, and hopes to get to heaven, and 
rise above the clouds; but the poor 
bird was beaten back with the loud 
sighings of an eastern wind, and his 
motion made irregular and inconsist- 
ent, descending more at every breath 
of the tempest than it could recover 
by the libration and frequent weigh- 
ing of his wings, till the little creat- 
ure was forced to sit down and pant, 
and stay till the storm was over ; and 
then it made a prosperous flight, and 
did rise and sing, as if it had^learned 
music and motion from an angel." — 
The Return of Prayers. Works, vol. i., 
638. Ed.Lond.,1835. 'l And doubting. 
This word, as used here, does not 
mean, as our translation would seem 
to imply, that we are to come before 
God without any doubts of our own 
piety, or in the exercise of perfect 
faith. The word used (oia\oyio>ios) 
means, properly, computation, adjust- 
ment of accounts; then reflection, 
thought; then reasoning, opinion; 
then debate, contention, strife. Luke 
ix. 46; Mark ix. 33, 34; Phil. ii. 14. 
This last is the sense evidently in this 
place. They were not to approach 
God in prayer in the midst of clamor- 
one disputings and angry contentions. 
They were not to come when the mind 



was heated with debate, and irritated 
by strife for victory. Prayer was to 
be offered in a calm, serious, sober 
state of mind, and they who engage in 
polemical strife, or in warm conten- 
tion of any kind, are little fitted to 
unite in the solemn act of addressing 
God. How often are theologians, 
when assembled together, so heated 
by debate, and so anxious for party 
victory, that they are in no suitable 
state of mind to pray ! How often 
do even good men, holding different 
views on the disputed points of relig- 
ous doctrine, suffer their minds to be- 
come so excited, and their temper so 
ruffled, that they are conscious that 
they are in an unfit state of mind to 
approach the throne of grace togeth- 
er ! That theological debate has gone 
too far, that strife for victory has be- 
come too warm, when the disputants 
are in such a state of mind that they 
can not unite in prayer; when they 
could not cease their contentions, and 
with a calm and proper spirit bow to- 
gether before the throne of grace. 

9. In like manner also. That is, with 
the same propriety; with the same 
regard to what religion demands. The 
apostle had stated particularly the 
duty of men in public worship (ver. 8), 
and he now proceeds to state the duty 
of women. All the directions here ev- 
idently refer to the proper manner of 
conducting public worship, and not 
to private duties ; and his object is to 
state the way in which he would have 
the different sexes appear. He had 
said that he would have prayers offer- 
ed for all men (ver. 1, seq.), and that 
in offering such petitions he would 
have the men on whom devolved the 
duty of conducting public devotion, 
do it with holy hands ; without any 
intermingling of passion, and with en- 
tire freedom from the spirit of con- 
tention. In reference to the duty of 
females in attendance on public wor- 
ship, he says that he would have them 
appear in apparel suitable to the place 
and the occasion — adorned not after 
the manner of the world, but with the 
zeal and love in the cause of the Re- 
deemer which became Christians. He 
would not have a woman become a 
public teacher (ver. 12), but would 



132 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



wish her ever to occupy the place in 
society for which she was designed 
(ver. 11), and to which she had shown 
that she was adapted. Vs. 13, 14 . The 
direction in ver. 9-12, therefore, is to 
be understood particularly of the 
proper deportment of females in the 
duties of public worship. At the 
same time, the principles laid down 
are doubtless such as were intended 
to apply to them in the other situa- 
tions in life, for if modest apparel is 
appropriate in the sanctuary, it is ap- 
propriate every where. If what is 
here prohibited in dress is wrong there, 
it would be difficult to show that it is 
right elsewhere. Thai women adorn 
themselves. The words "I will" are 
to be understood here as repeated 
from ver. 8. The apostle, by the use 
of the word adorn (Kocrfxelv), shows 
that he is not opposed to ornament or 
adorning, provided it be of the right 
kind. The world, as God has made it, 
is full of beauty, and he has shown in 
each flower that he is not opposed to 
true ornament. There are multitudes 
of things which appear to be designed 
for mere ornament, or are made mere- 
ly because they are beautiful. Relig- 
ion does not forbid true adorning. 
The Christian differs from the people 
of the world on this subject only on 
the question what is true ornament, 
or what it becomes us, all things con- 
sidered, to do in the situation in which 
we are placed, the character which we 
sustain, the duties which we have to 
perform, and the profession which we 
make. It may be that there are orna- 
ments in heaven which would be any 
thing but appropriate for the condi- 
tion of a poor, lost, dying sinner on 
earth. IT In modest apparel. The word 
here rendered modest (koo-iulios), prop- 
erly relates to ornament, or decora- 
tion, and means that which is well-or- 
dered, decorous, becoming. It does not, 
properly, mean modest in the sense of 
being opposed to that which is im- 
modest, or which tends to excite im- 
proper passions and desires, but that 
which is becoming or appropriate. The 
apostle does not positively specify 
what this would be, but he mentions 
some things which are to be excluded 
from it, and which, in his view, are in- 
consistent with the true adorning of 
Christian females — u broidered hair, 
gold, pearls, costly array." The sense 
here is, that the apparel of females 
should be such as becomes them, or 



such as is appropriate to them. The 
word here used (/coV/uos), shows that 
there should be due attention that it 
may be truly neat, fit, decorous. There 
is no religion in a negligent mode of 
apparel, or in inattention to personal 
appearance — any more than there is 
in wearing gold and pearls ; and a fe- 
male may as truly violate the pre- 
cepts of her religion by neglecting 
her personal appearance as by exces- 
sive attention to it. The true idea 
here is, that her attention to her ap- 
pearance should be such that she will 
be offensive to no class of persons; 
such as to show that her mind is su- 
premely fixed on higher and more im- 
portant things, and such as to inter- 
fere with no duty which she owes, 
and no good which she can do, either 
by spending her time needlessly in 
personal adorning, or by lavishing 
that money for dress which might do 
good to others, or by neglecting the 
proprieties of her station, and making 
herself offensive to others. If With 
shamefacedness. With modesty of ap- 
pearance and manner — an eminent fe- 
male virtue, whether in the sanctuary 
or at home. And sobriety. The word 
here used means, properly, sanity ; 
then sober-mindedness, mo d eration 
of the desires and passions. It is op- 
posed to all that is frivolous, and to 
all undue excitement of the passions. 
The idea is, that in their apparel and 
deportment they should not intrench 
on the strictest decorum. — Doddridge. 
% Not wjith broidered hair. Marg., plait- 
ed. Females in the East pay much 
more attention to the hair than is com- 
monly done with us. It is plaited 
with great care, and arranged in vari- 
ous forms, according to the prevail- 
ing fashion, and often ornamented 
with spangles, or with silver wire or 
tissue interwoven. See Notes on Isa. 
iii. 24. The sense here is, that Chris- 
tian females are not to imitate those 
of the world in their careful attention 
to the ornaments of the head. It can 
not be supposed that the mere braid- 
ing of the hair is forbidden, but only 
that careful attention to the manner 
of doing it, and to the ornaments usu- 
ally worn in it, which characterized 
worldly females. H Or gold, or pearls. 
It is not to be supposed that all use 
of gold or pearls as articles of dress is 
here forbidden ; but the idea is, that 
the Christian female is not to seek 
these as the adorning which she de- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER II. 



133 



professing godliness) with good 
works. 

11 Let the woman a learn in si- 
lence with all subjection. 

12 But I suffer not a woman to 

a 1 Cor. 14. 34. 

sires, or is not to imitate the world in 
these personal decorations. It may 
he a difficult question to settle how 
much ornament is allowable, and when 
the true line is passed. But though 
this can not be settled by any exact 
rules, since much must depend on 
age, and on the relative rank in life, 
and the meaus which one may pos- 
sess, yet there is one general rule 
which is applicable to all, and which 
might regulate all. It is that the true 
line is passed when more is thought 
of this external adorning than of the 
ornament of the heart. Any external 
decoration which occupies the mind 
more than the virtues of the heart, 
and which engrosses the time and at- 
tention more, we may be certain is 
wrong. The apparel should be such 
as not to attract attention; such as 
becomes our situation ; such as will 
not be particularly singular; such as 
will leave the impression that the 
heart is not fixed on it. It is a poor 
ambition to decorate a dying' body 
with gold and pearls. It should not 
be forgotten that the body thus adorn- 
ed will soon need other habiliments, 
and will occupy a position where gold 
and pearls would be a mockery. When 
the heart is right ; when there is true 
and supreme love for religion, it is 
usually not difficult to regulate the 
subject of dress. % Costly array. Ex- 
pensive dress. This is forbidden — for 
it is foolish, and the money thus em- 
ployed may be much more profitably 
used in doing good. " Costly array" 
includes that which can be ill afford- 
ed, and that which is inconsistent 
with the feeling that the principal or- 
nament is that of the heart. 

10. But {which becometh women pro- 
fessing godliness) with good works. That 
is, it is not appropriate for women 
who profess to be the followers of the 
Saviour, to seek to be distinguished 
for external decorations. If they are 
Christians, they have seen the vanity 
of these things, and have fixed the 
heart on more substantial realities. 
They are professed followers of him 
u who went about doing good," and 



teach, nor to usurp authority over 
the man, but to be in silence. 

13 For Adam was first formed, 
then Eve. 

14 And Adam was not deceived, 



the performance of good works es- 
pecially becomes them. They profess 
to have fixed their affections on God 
the Saviour, and to be living for heav- 
en ; and it is not becoming in them 
to seek such ornaments as would in-* 
dicate that the heart is supremely at- 
tached to worldly things. There is 
great beauty in this direction. Good 
works, or deeds of benevolence, emi- 
nently become a Christian female. 
The nature of woman seems to be 
adapted to the performance of all deeds 
demanding kindness, tenderness, gen- 
tleness of feeling, pity, sympathy, and 
affection ; and we feel instinctively 
that while acts of hardy enterprise 
and daring in a good cause peculiarly 
become a Christian man, there is some- 
thing exquisitely appropriate to the 
female character in deeds of humble 
and unobtrusive sympathy and benev- 
olence. God seems to have formed 
her mind for just such things, and in 
such things she occupies her appro- 
priate sphere, rather than in seeking 
external adorning. 

11. Let the woman learn in silence. 
Listen attentively to instruction, with- 
out attempting to teach in public. 
See Notes on 1 Cor xiv. 35. ^ With 
all subjection. With due subjection to 
those who are in authority, and who 
are appointed to minister in holy 
things. See Notes on 1 Cor. xiv. 34. 

12. But I suffer not a ivomayi to teach. 
See Notes on 1 Cor. xiv. 34. ^Nor to 
usurp authority over the man. See 
Notes on 1 Cor. xi. 3. 

13. For Adam was first formed, then 
Eve. The apostle, in this verse and 
the following, gives reasons why a 
woman should occupy a subordinate 
situation, and not usurp authority. 
The first is, that she was second in 
the act of creation, or was made sub- 
sequent to man. The reason here as- 
signed can not be understood to be 
merely that of priority of existence — 
for then it would give every old per- 
son authority over a younger one; 
but it must refer to the circumstances 
of the case as detailed in the history 
of the creation. Gen. i., ii. Man was 



134 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



but the woman being deceived, 
was in the transgression. 
15 Notwithstanding she shall be 

made as the Lord of this lower crea- 
tion, and then the woman was made 
of a rib taken from his side, and given 
to him, not as a Lord, but as a com- 
panion. All the circumstances com- 
bine to show the subordinate nature 
of her rank, and to prove that she 
was not designed to exert authority 
over the man. Comp. Notes on 1 
Cor. xi. 8, 9. 

14. And Adam was not deceived. This 
is the second reason why the woman 
should occupy a subordinate rank in 
all things. It is that, in the most im- 
portant situation in which she was 
ever placed, she had shown that she 
was not qualified to take the lead. 
She had evinced a readiness to yield 
to temptation ; a feebleness of resist- 
ance ; a pliancy of character, which 
showed that she was not adapted to 
the situation of headship, and which 
made it proper that she should ever 
afterward occupy a subordinate situ- 
ation. It is not meant here that 
Adam did not sin, nor even that he 
was not deceived by the Tempter, but 
that the woman opposed a feebler re- 
sistance to the temptation than he 
would have done, and that the temp- 
tation as actually applied to her would 
have been ineffectual on him. To 
tempt and seduce him to fall, there 
were needed all the soft persuasions, 
the entreaties, and the example of his 
wife. Satan understood this, and ap- 
proached man not with the specious 
argument of the serpent, but through 
the allurements of his wife. It is un- 
doubtedly implied here that man in 
general has a power of resisting cer- 
tain kinds of temptation superior to 
that possessed by woman, and hence 
that the headship property belongs to 
him. This is, undoubtedly, the gen- 
eral truth, though there may be many 
exceptions, and many noble cases to 
the honor of the female sex, in which 
they evince a power of resistance to 
temptation superior to man. In many 
traits of character, and among them 
those which are most lovety, woman 
is superior to man ; yet it is undoubt- 
edly true that, as a general thing, 
temptation will make a stronger im- 
pression on her than on him. When 
it is said that u Adam was not de- 
ceived," it is not meant that when 



saved in childbearing, if they con- 
tinue in faith and charity and ho- 
liness w T ith sobriety. 

he partook actually of the fruit he 
was under no deception, but that he 
was not deceived by the serpent ; he 
was not first deceived, or first in the 
transgression. The woman should 
remember that sin began with her, and 
she should therefore be willing to oc- 
cupy an humble and subordinate sit- 
uation. ^ But the woman being de- 
ceived. She was made to believe that 
the fruit would not injure her, but 
would make her wise, and that God 
would not fulfill his threatening of 
death. Sin, from the beginning, has 
been a process of delusion. Every 
man or woman who violates the law 
of God is deceived as to the happiness 
which is expected from the violation, 
and as to the consequences which 
will follow it. 

15. Notwithstanding she shall be saved. 
The promise in this verse is designed 
to alleviate the apparent severity of 
the remarks just made about the con- 
dition of woman, and of the allusion 
to the painful facts of her early his- 
tory. What the apostle had just said 
would carry the mind back to the pe- 
riod in which woman introduced sin 
into the world, and, by an obvious and 
easy association, to the sentence 
which had been passed on her in con- 
sequence of her transgression, and to 
the burden of sorrows which she was 
doomed to bear. By the remark in 
this verse, however, Paul shows that 
it was not his intention to overwhelm 
her with anguish. He did not design 
to harrow up her feelings by an unkind 
allusion to a melancholy fact in her 
history. It was necessary for him to 
state, and for her to know, that her 
place was secondary and subordinate, 
and he wished this truth ever to be 
kept in memory among Christians. 
It was not unkind or improper also 
to state the reasons for this opinion, 
and to show that her own history- 
had demonstrated that she *was not 
designed for headship. But she was 
not to be regarded as degraded and 
abandoned. She was not to be over- 
whelmed by the recollection of what 
"the mother of all living" had done. 
There were consolations in her case. 
There was a special divine interposi- 
tion which she might look for, evin- 
cing tender care on the part of God in 



AD. 58.] 



CHAPTER II. 



135 



those deep sorrows which had come 
upon her in consequence of her trans- 
gression ; and instead of being crush- 
ed and broken-hearted on account of 
her condition, she should remember 
that the everlasting arms of God would 
sustain her in her condition of sorrow 
and pain. Paul, then, would speak 
to her the language of consolation, 
and while he would have her occupy 
her proper place, he would have her 
feel that God was her Friend. In re- 
gard to the nature of the consolation 
referred to here, there has been a con- 
siderable variety of opinion. Some 
have held that, by the expression 
u she shall be saved in child-bearing," 
the apostle designs to include all the 
duties of the maternal relation, mean- 
ing that she should be saved through 
the faithful performance of her du- 
ties as a mother. — Robinson, Lexicon. 
Rosenmiiller regards the word render- 
ed "child-bearing" (i-EKvoyovia) as 
synonymous with education, and sup- 
poses that the meaning is, that a wom- 
an, by the proper training of her chil- 
dren, can obtain salvation as well as 
her husband, and that her appropriate 
duty is not public teaching, but the 
training of her family. Wetstein sup- 
poses that it means, "she shall be 
saved from the arts of impostors, and 
from the luxury and vice of the age, 
if, instead of wandering about, she re- 
mains at home, cultivates modesty, is 
subject to her husband, and engages 
carefully in the training of her chil- 
dren." This sense agrees well with 
the connection. .Calvin supposes that 
the apostle designs to console the 
woman by the assurance that, if she 
bears the trials of her condition of 
sorrow with a proper spirit, abiding 
in faith and holiness, she will be saved. 
She is not to regard herself as cut off 
from the hope of heaven. Doddridge, 
Macknight, Clarke, and others, sup- 
pose that it refers to the promise in 
Gen. iii. 15, and means that the wom- 
an shall be saved through, or by means 
of bearing a child, to wit, the Messiah ; 
and that the apostle means to sustain 
the woman in her sorrows, and in her 
state of subordination and inferiority, 
by referring to the honor which has 
been put upon her by the fact that a 
woman gave birth to the Messiah. It 
is supposed also that he means to say 
that special honor is thus conferred 
on her over the man, inasmuch as the 
Messiah had no human father.— Dodd- 



ridge. The objections to this inter- 
pretation, however, though it is sus- 
tained by most respectable names, 
seem to me to be insuperable. They 
are such as these: (1.) The interpre- 
tation is too refined and abstruse. It 
is not that which is obvious. It de- 
pends for its point on the fact that 
the Messiah had no human father, and 
if the apostle had intended to refer to 
that, and to build an argument on it, 
it may be doubted whether he would 
have done it in so obscure a manner. 
But it may reasonably be questioned 
whether he would have made that fact 
a point on which his argument would 
turn. There would be a species of 
refinement about, such an argument, 
such as we should not look for in the 
writings of Paul. (2.) It is not the 
obvious meaning of the word "child- 
bearing." There is nothing in the 
word which requires that it should 
have any reference to the birth of the 
Messiah. The word is of a general 
character, and properly refers to child- 
bearing in general. (3.) It is not true 
that woman would be " saved" mere- 
ly by the fact that one of her own sex 
had given birth to the Messiah. She 
will be saved, as man will be, as a 
consequence of his having been born ; 
but there is no evidence that the mere 
fact that woman gave birth to him, 
and that he had no human father, did 
any thing to save Mary herself, or any 
one else of her sex. If, therefore, the 
word refers to the "bearing" of the 
Messiah, or to the fact that he was 
born, it would be no more proper to 
say that this was connected with the 
salvation of woman than that of man. 
The true meaning, it seems to me, has 
been suggested by Calvin, and may be 
seen by the following remarks. (1.) 
The apostle designed to comfort wom- 
an, or to alleviate the sadness of the 
picture which he had drawn respect- 
ing her condition. (2.) He had re- 
ferred, incidentally, as a proof of the 
subordinate character of her station, 
to the first apostasy. This naturally 
suggested the sentence which was 
passed on her, and the condition of 
sorrow to which she was doomed, par- 
ticularly in child-birth. That was the 
standing demonstration of her guilt; 
that the condition in which she suf- 
fered most; that the situation in 
which she was in greatest peril. (3.) 
Paul assures her, therefore, that 
though she must thus suffer, she ought 



136 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



not to regard herself in her deep sor- 
rows and dangers, though on account 
of sin, as necessarily under the divine 
displeasure, or as excluded from the 
hope of heaven. The way of salva- 
tion was open to her as well as to 
men, and was to be entered in the 
same manner. If she had faith and 
holiness, even in ter condition of sor- 
row brought on by guilt, she might 
as well hope for eternal life as man. 
The object of the apostle seems to be 
to guard against a possible construc- 
tion which might be put on his 
words, that he did not regard the 
woman as in circumstances as favora- 
ble for salvation as those of man, or 
as if he taught that salvation for her 
was more difficult, or perhaps that 
she could not be saved at all. The 
general sentiments of the Jews in re- 
gard to the salvation of the female 
sex, and their exclusion from the re- 
ligious privileges which men enjoy ; 
the views of the Mohammedans in ref- 
erence to the inferiority of the sex; 
and the prevalent feelings in the hea- 
then world, degrading the sex, and 
making their condition, in regard to 
salvation, far inferior to that of man, 
show the propriety of what the apos- 
tle here says, and the fitness that he 
should so guard himself that his lan- 
guage could not possibly be so con- 
strued as to give countenance to such 
sentiments. According to the inter- 
pretation of the passage here pro- 
posed, the apostle does not mean to 
teach that a Christian female would 
be certainly saved from death in child- 
birth—for this would not be true, and 
the proper construction of the pas- 
sage does not require us to under- 
stand him as affirming this. Religion 
is not designed to make any immedi- 
ate and direct change in the laws of 
our physical being. It does not of 
itself guard us from the pestilence ; 
it does not arrest the progress of dis- 
ease ; it does not save us from death ; 
and, as a matter of fact, woman, by the 
highest degree of piety, is not neces- 
sarily saved from the perils of that 
condition to which she has been sub- 
jected in consequence of the apostasy. 
The apostle means to show this — that 
in all her pain and sorrow ; that amid 
all the evidence of apostasy, and all 
that reminds her that she was "first" 
in the transgression, she may look up 
to God as her friend and strength, and 
may hope for acceptance and salva- 



tion. If they continue. If woman 
continues; it being not uncommon to 
change the singular form to the plu- 
ral, especially if the subject spoken 
of have the character of a noun of 
multitude. Many have understood 
this of children, as teaching that if 
the mother was faithful, so that her 
children should continue in faith, she 
would be saved. But this is not a nec- 
essary, or a probable interpretation. 
The apostle says nothing of children, 
and it is not reasonable to suppose 
that he would make the prospect of 
her salvation depend on their being 
pious. This would be to add a hard 
condition of salvation, and one no- 
where else suggested in the New Tes- 
tament. The object of the apostle ev- 
idently is to show that woman must 
continue in the faithful service of God 
if she would be saved — a doctrine ev- 
ery where insisted on in the New Tes- 
tament in reference to all persons. 
She must not imitate the example of 
the mother of mankind, but she must 
faithfully yield obedience to the laws 
of God till death. H Faith. Faith in 
the Redeemer and in divine truth, or 
a life of fidelity in the service of God. 
IT Chavity. Love to all. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Cor. xiii. ff Holiness. She must 
be truly religious. U With sobriety. 
All these things must be united with 
a becoming soberness or seriousness 
of deportment. See Notes on ver. 9. 
In such a life, woman may look to a 
world where she will be forever free 
from all the sadnesses and sorrows of 
her condition here; where, by un- 
equaled pain, she will be no more re- 
minded of the time when 

"Her rash hand in evil hour 
Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, 
she ate ;" 

and when before the throne she shall 
be*admitted to full equality with all 
the redeemed of the Lord. Religion 
meets all the sadnesses of her condi- 
tion here ; pours consolation into the 
cup of her many woes ; speaks kindly 
to her in her distresses; utters the 
language of forgiveness to her heart 
when crushed with the remembrance 
of sin— for "she loves much" (Luke 
vii. 37-48); and conducts her to im- 
mortal glory in that world where all 
sorrow shall be unknown. 

CHAPTER III. 

ANALYSIS OP THE CHAPTER. 

The object of this chapter is to give 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



137 



CHAPTER III. 

THIS is a true saying, If a 
man desire the office of a 

o Phil. 1.1. 

directions respecting the qualifica- 
tions and duties of the officers of the 
Christian Church. As it is evident that 
•Timothy was to be partly employed in 
the appointment of suitable officers 
for the Chnrch at Ephesus, and as the 
kinds of officers here referred to were 
to be permanent in the Church, it was 
important that a full statement should 
be put on record, under the influence 
of inspiration, respecting their qualifi- 
cations and duties. The chapter em- 
braces the following subjects : 

I. The qualifications of a bishop. 
Ver.1-7. The enumeration of his qual- 
ifications is preceded by a general state- 
ment that the office is an honorable 
one, and that he who aspires to it seeks 
an employment that is, in itself, to be 
regarded as desirable. Ver. 1. The 
qualifications specified for this office 
are the following: 

(1.) He must be a man of good pri- 
vate character, possessing and illus- 
trating the Christian virtues, or, as we 
should say now, an upright man, and 
a Christian gentleman. . Vs. 2, 3. 

(2.) He must be a man who rules his 
own house well, and who thus shows 
that he is qualified to preside as the 
first officer in the Church of God. Vs. 
4,5. 

(3.) He must be a man of suitable 
age and experience — one who will not 
be likely to fall into the temptations 
that are laid for the young. Ver. 6. 

(4.) He must have a fair reputation 
among those who are not Christians 
— as it is intended that the influence 
of his ministry shall reach them, and 
as it is impossible to do them good un- 
less he is believed to be a man of in- 
tegrity. Ver. 7. 

II. The qualifications of deacons. 
Ver. £-10, 12, 13. They must be, 

(1.) Men of fair character — serious, 
temperate, candid. Ver. 8. 

(2.) Men who hold to the doctrines 
of the Gospel with a pure conscience. 
Ver. 9. 

(3.) Men who have been proved, and 
who have shown that they are quali- 
fied to serve the Church. Ver. 10. 

(4.) Men whose wives are of such a 
character that their example will con- 
tribute to the promotion of the com- 
mon cause. Ver. 11. 



bishop, ° he desireth a good 
work. 

2 A bishop 6 then must be blame- 

b Tit. 1. 6, etc. 

(5.) Men not living in polygamy, and 
who exercise exemplary family gov- 
ernment. Vs. 12, 13. 

III. The reason why Paul gave these 
instructions to Timothy. Vs. 14, 15. 
It was that he might know how he 
ought to demean himself in the impor- 
tant station which he was called to oc- 
cupy. Paul hoped to be able to come 
to him before long, and to complete 
the work which he had commenced at 
Ephesus, but, in the mean time, he 
gave him these written counsels, that 
he might understand particularly the 
dnty which was required of him. 

IV. The chapter closes with a state- 
ment which seems to have been in- 
tended to impress the mind of Timo- 
thy with the importance of the duties 
in which he was engaged. Vs. 15, 16. 
The statement is, that the Church is 
the great defender of the truth in the 
world (verse 15), and that the truth 
which the Church is to maintain is of 
the greatest importance to mankind. 
It relates to the incarnation of the 
Son of God, and to the work which he 
accomplished on earth — a work which 
excited the deepest interest in heaven, 
and the true doctrine respecting which 
it was of the utmost importance to 
keep up among men. Ver. 16. This 
reason is further urged in the follow- 
ing chapter, by showing that the time 
would come when, under the influence 
of Satan, these great doctrines would 
be denied, and the truth be corrupted 
and perverted. 

1 . This is a true saying. Gr. , " Faithful 
is the word" — the very phrase which 
is used in ch. i. 15. See Notes on that 
verse. The idea here is, that it was 
worthy of credence ; it was not to be 
doubted. 'If If a man desire. Imply- 
ing that there would be those who 
would wish to be put into the minis- 
try. The Lord, undoubtedly, by his 
Spirit, often excites an earnest and ir- 
repressible desire to preach the Gospel 
— a desire so strong that he in whom 
it exists can be satisfied in no other 
calling. In such a case, it should be 
regarded as one evidence of a call to 
this work. The apostle, however, by 
the statements which follow, intimates 
that wherever this desire, exists, it is 



138 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



of the utmost importance to have just 
views of the nature of the office, and 
that there should "be other qualifica- 
tions for the ministry than a mere de- 
sire to preach the Gospel. He proceeds, 
therefore, to state those qualifica- 
tions ; and no one who " desires" the 
office of the ministry should conclude 
that he is called to it unless these qual- 
ifications, substantially, are found in 
him. The word rendered desire here 
(dptyw) denotes, proioerly, to reach or 
stretch out — and hence, to reach after 
any thing, to long after, to try to ob- 
tain. Heb. xi. 16. If The office of a bish- 
op. The Greek here is a single word 

STTlGKOTTriS. The WOrd ETTLCT K01T7] 

(Episcope) — whence the word Episco- 
pal is derived — occurs but four times 
in the New Testament. It is trans- 
lated visitation in Luke xix. 44, and in 
1 Peter ii. 12 ; bishoprick, Acts i. 20 ; 
and in this place office of a bishop*. The 
verb from which it is derived (kincrKo^ 
7r£a)) occurs but twice. In Heb. xii. 
15, it is rendered looking diligently, and 
in 1 Pet. v. 2, taking the oversight. The 
noun rendered bishop occurs in Acts 
xx. 28 ; Phil. i. 1 ; 1 Tim. iii. 2 ; Titus i. 
7 ; 1 Pet. ii. 25. The verb means, prop- 
erly, to look upon, behold ; to inspect, 
to look after, see to, take care of ; and 
the noun denotes the office of over- 
seeing, inspecting, or looking to. It 
is used to denote the care of the sick, 
Xeno., (Ec, 15, 9 (comp. Passow) ; and 
is of so general a character that it may 
denote any office of overseeing or at- 
tending to. There is nothing in the 
word itself which would limit it to any 
class or grade of the ministry, and it 
is, in fact, applied to nearly all the offi- 
cers of the Church in the New Testa- 
ment, and, indeed, to Christians who 
did not sustain any office. Thus it is 
applied (a) to believers in general, di- 
recting them to "look diligently, lest 
any one should fail of the grace of 
God," Heb. xii. 15; (6) to the elders 
of the Church at Ephesus," over the 
which the Holy Ghost hath made you 
overseers," Acts xx. 28 ; (c) to the elders 
or presbyters of the Church in 1 Pet. 
v. 2, u Feed the flock of God, taking the 
oversight thereof;" (d) to the officers 
of the Church in Philippi, mentioned 
in connection with deacons as the only 
officers of the Church there, "to the 
saints at Philippi, with the bishops and 
deacons," Phil. i. 1; (<?) to Judas, the 
apostate, Acts i. 20; and (/) to the 
great Head of the Church, the Lord 



Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. ii. 25, "the Shep- 
herd and Bishop of your souls." From 
this use of the term it follows, (1.) That 
the word is never used to designate 
the peculiarity of the apostolic office, 
or so as to have any special applica- 
bility to the apostles. Indeed, the 
term bishop is never applied to any of 
the apostles in the New Testament;, 
nor is the word in any of its forms 
ever used with reference to them, ex- 
cept in the single case of Judas, Acts 
i. 20. (2.) It is never employed in the 
New Testament to designate an order 
of men superior to presbyters, regard- 
ed as having any other functions than 
presbyters, or being in any sense "suc- 
cessors" to the apostles. It is so used 
now by the advocates of prelacy; but 
this is a use wholly unknown to the 
New Testament. It is so undeniable 
that the name is never given in the 
New Testament to those who are now 
called "bishops" that even Episcopa- 
lians concede it. Thus, Dr. Onderdonk 
(Tract on Episcopacy, p. 12) says, "All 
that we read in the New Testament 
concerning 'bishops' is to be regard- 
ed as pertaining to the 'middle grade;' 
that is, to those who are now regard- 
ed as 'priests.' " This is not strictly 
correct, as is clear from the remarks 
above, respecting what is called the 
" middle grade ;" but it is strictly cor- 
rect, so far as it affirms that it is never 
applied to prelates. (3.) It is used in 
the New Testament to denote minis- 
ters of the Gospel who had the care 
or oversight of the churches, without 
any regard to grade or rank. (4.) It 
has now, as used by Episcopalians, a 
sense which is wholly unauthorized by 
the New Testament, and which, in- 
deed, is entirely at variance with the 
usage there. To apply the term to a 
pretended superior order of clergy, as 
designating their peculiar office, is 
wholly to "depart from the use of the 
word as it occurs in the Bible. (5.) As 
it is never used in the Scriptures with 
refererence to prelates, it should be used 
with reference to the pastors, or other 
officers of the Church ; and to be & pas- 
tor or overseer of the flock of Christ, 
should be regarded as being a scrip- 
tural bishop. He desireth a good work. 
An honorable office; an office which 
it is right for a man to desire. There 
are some stations in life which ought 
never to be desired, but it is proper 
for any one to desire the office of a 
bishop who has the proper qualifica- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



139 



tions. Compare Notes on Rom. xi. 
13. 

2. A bishop. A minister of religion, 
according to the foregoing remarks, 
who has' the charge or oversight of 
an3 r Christian Church. The reference 
here is, doubtless, to one who had the 
government of the Church intrusted 
to him (vs. 4, 5), and who was also a 
preacher of the G ospel. ^[ Must be blame- 
less. This is a different word (ccvettl- 
X?77ttos) from that rendered blameless in 
Luke i. 6; Phil. ii. 15 ; iii. 6 (a/x£/x7n-os). 
Comp., however, Notes on Luke i. 6; 
Phil. iii. 6. The word here used does 
not mean that, as a necessary qualifi- 
cation for office, a bishop should be 
perfect ; but that he should be a man 
against whom no charge of immorality, 
or of holding false doctrine, is alleged. 
His conduct should be irreprehensi- 
ble or irreproachable. Undoubtedly 
it means that if any charge could be 
brought against him implying moral 
obliquity, he is not fit for the office. 
He should be a man of irreproachable 
character for truth, honesty, chastity, 
and general uprightness. \ The hus- 
band of one wife. This need not be un- 
derstood as requiring that a bishop 
should be a married man, as Vigilantius, 
a presbyter in the Church at Barcelo- 
na in the fourth century, supposed, 
however desirable in general it may 
be that a minister of the Gospel should 
be married. But, while this interpre- 
tation is manifestly to be excluded as 
false, there has been much difference 
of opinion on the question whether 
the passage means that a minister 
should not have more than one wife 
at the same time, or whether it pro- 
hibits the marriage of a second wife aft- 
er the death of the first. On this ques- 
tion, the Notes of Bloomfield, Dodd- 
ridge, and Macknight may be con- 
sulted. That the former is the correct 
opinion seems to me to be evident 
from the following considerations : 
(1.) It is the most obvious meaning of 
the language, and it would doubtless 
be thus understood by those to whom 
it was addressed. At a time when po- 
lygamy was not uncommon, to say that 
a man should "have but one wife" 
would be naturally understood as pro- 
hibiting polygamy. (2.) The marriage 
of a second wife, after the death of the 
first, is nowhere spoken of in the 
Scriptures as wrong. The marriage 
of a widow to a second husband is ex- 
pressly declared to be proper (1 Cor, 



vii. 39); and it is not unfair to infer 
from that permission that it is equally 
lawful and proper for a man to marry 
the second time. But, if it is lawful 
for any man, it is right for a minister 
of the Gospel. No reason can be as- 
signed against such marriages in his 
case which would not be equally valid 
in any other. Marriage is as honora- 
ble for a minister of the Gospel as for 
any other man (comp. Notes on Heb. 
xiii. 4) ; and, as Doddridge has well re- 
marked, u Circumstances may be so 
adjusted that there may be as much 
reason for a second marriage as for the 
first, and as little inconvenience of any 
kind may attend it." (3.) There was 
a special propriety in the prohibition, 
if understood as prohibiting polyga- 
my. It is known that it was exten- 
sively practiced, and was not regard- 
ed as unlawful. Yet one design of the 
Gospel was to restore the marriage re- 
lation to its primitive condition ; and, 
though it is not necessary to suppose 
that polygamy ivas ever tolerated in 
the Christian Church, for there is no 
evidence of that, yet, in order to fix a 
special mark of disapprobation on this 
practice, it might have been deemed 
desirable to require of the ministers of 
the Gospel that they should have but 
one wife. Thus the practice of polyg- 
amy would gradually come to be re- 
garded as dishonorable and improper, 
and the example and influence of the 
ministry would tend to introduce cor- 
rect views in regard to the nature of 
this relation. One thing is clear from 
this passage, that the views of the Pa- 
pists in regard to the celibacy of the 
clergy are directly at variance with 
the Bible. The declaratioifrpf Paul in 
Heb. xiii. 4 is that "marrfpe is hon- 
orable in all;" and here it is implied 
that it w : as proper that a minister 
should be married. If it were not, why 
did not Paul prohibit it altogether? 
Instead of saying that it was improp- 
er that a bishop should have more than 
one wife, why did he not say that it 
was improper that he should be mar- 
ried at all? AVould not a Romanist 
say so now ? Tf Vigilant. This word 
(vn<pukzo<$) occurs only here and in 
ver. 11 ; Titus ii. 2. It means, proper- 
ly, sober, temperate, abstinent, especially 
in respect to wine ; then sober-mind- 
ejL watch fid, circumspect. — Bob inson. A 
flpister should have a watchful care 
over his own conduct. He should be 
on his guard against sin in any form. 



140 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



less, the husband of one wife, 
vigilant, sober, of 1 good behav- 

1 or, modest. 

Tf Sober, awcppova. Properly, a man 
of a sound mind; one who follows 
sound reason, and who is not under 
the control of passion. The idea is, 
that he should have his desires and 
passions well regulated. Perhaps the 
word prudent would come nearer to 
the meaning of the apostle than any 
single word which we have. IT Of good 
behavior. Marg., modest. Coverdale 
renders it mannerly. The most correct 
rendering,according to the modern use 
of language, would be, that he should 
be a gentleman. He should not be slov- 
enly in his appearance, or rough and 
boorish in his manners. He should 
not do violence to the usages of refined 
intercourse, nor be unfit to appear re- 
spectably in the most refined circles 
of society. Inattention to personal 
neatness, and to the rules which reg- 
ulate refined intercourse, is indicative 
neither of talent, learning, nor relig- 
ion ; and though they are occasionally 
— not often — connected with talent, 
learning, and religion, yet they are nev- 
er the fruit of either, and are always a 
disgrace to those who exhibit such in- 
civility and boorishness, for such men 
ought to know better. A minister of 
the Gospel should be a finished gen- 
tleman in his manners, and there is 
no excuse for him if he is not. His 
religion, if he has any, is adapted to 
make him such. He has usually re- 
ceived such an education as should 
have made him such, and in all cases 
he ought to have had such a training. 
He is admitted into the best society, 
and has aBtopportunity of becoming 
familiar with the laws of refined inter- 
course. He should be an example and 
a pattern in all that goes to promote 
the welfare of mankind, and there are 
few things so easily acquired that are 
fitted to do this as refinement and gen- 
tility of manners. No man can do 
good, on the whole, or in the "long 
run," by disregarding the rules of re- 
fined intercourse ; and, other things 
being equal, the refined, the courteous, 
the polite gentleman in the ministry, 
will always do more good than he who 
neglects the rules of good-breeding. 

Given to hospitality. This is often ej^ 
joined on all Christians as a duty^ff 
religion. For the reason of this, and 
the nature of the duty, see Notes on 



iour, given to hospitality, apt to 
teach : 



Rom. xii. 13 ; Heb. xiii. 2. It was a 
special duty of the ministers of relig- 
ion, as they were to be examples of 
every Christian virtue. Apt to teach. 
Gr., Didactic; that is, capable of in- 
structing, or qualified for the office of 
a teacher of religion. As the princi- 
pal business of a preacher of the Gos- 
pel is to teach, or to communicate to 
his fellow-men the knowledge of the 
truth, the necessit}' of this qualifica- 
tion is obvious. No one should be al- 
lowed to enter the ministry who is 
not qualified to impart instruction to 
others on the doctrines and duties of 
religion ; and no one should feel that 
he ought to continue in the ministry 
who has not industry, and self-denial, 
and the love of study enough to lead 
him constantly to endeavor to increase 
in knowledge, that he may be qualified 
to teach others. A man who would 
teach a people, must himself keep in 
advance of them on the subjects on 
which he would instruct them. 

3. Not given to wine. Marg., u Not 
ready to quarrel and offer wrong, as one 
in wine. The Greek word (irapoivos) 
occurs in the New Testament only 
here and in Titus i. 7. It means, 
properly, by wine; that is, spoken of 
what takes place by or over wine, as 
revelry, drinking-songs, etc. Then it 
denotes, as it does here, one who sits 
by wine; that is, who is in the habit 
of drinking it. It can not be inferred, 
from the use of the word here, that 
wine was absolutely and entirely pro- 
hibited ; for the word does not prop- 
erly express that idea. It means that 
one who is in the habit of drinking 
wine, or who is accustomed to sit 
with those who indulge in it, should 
not be admitted to the ministry. The 
way in which the apostle mentions 
the subject here would lead us fairly 
to suppose that he did not mean to 
commend its use in any sense; that 
he regarded it as dangerous, and that 
he would wish the ministers of relig- 
ion to avoid it altogether. In regard 
to its use at all, except at the com- 
munion or as a medicine, it may be 
remarked, that a minister will do no 
injury to himself or others by letting 
it entirely alone ; he may do injury by 
indulging in it. No man is under any 
obligation of courtesy or Christian 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



141 



3 Not 1 given to wine, no striker, I 4 One that ruleth well b his own 
not greedy of filthy lucre ; but pa- house, having his children in sub- 
tient, a not a brawler, not covetous; jection with all gravity : 

1 or, not ready to quarrel and offer wrong, as one in wine. | a 2 Tit. 2. 24. b Psa. 101 . 2. 

duty to use it ; thousands of ministers 
of the Gospel have brought ruin on 
themselves, and disgrace on the min- 
istry, by its use. Compare Notes on 
Matt. xi. 9, and 1 Tim. v. 23. IT No 
striker. He must be a peaceable, not a 
quarrelsome man. This is connected 
with the caution about the use of wine, 
probably, because that is commonly 
found to produce a spirit of conten- 
tion and strife. ^ Not greedy of filthy 
lucre. Not contentious or avaricious. 
Gr., Not desirous qfbase gain. The 
desire of this is rSfKlemned every 
where in the New Testament ; but it 
is especially the duty of a minister of 
the Gospel to be free from it. He has 
a right to a support (see Notes on 1 
Cor. ix.), but there is nothing that 
more certainly paralyzes the useful- 
ness of a minister of the Gospel than 
the love of money. There is an in- 
stinctive feeling in the human bosom 
that such a man ought to be actuated 
by a nobler and a purer principle. As 
avarice, moreover, is the great sin of 
the world — the sin that sways. more 
hearts, and does more to hinder the 
progress of the Gospel, than all oth- 
ers combined — it is important in the 
highest degree that the minister- of 
religion should be an example of what 
men should be, and that he, by his 
whole life, should set his face against 
that which is the main obstruction 
to the progress of that Gospel which j 
he is appointed to preach. If But pa- 
tient. Modest, mild, gentle. See the 
word(Gr.) in Phil. iv. 5; Titus hi. 2; 
James iii. 17 ; and 1 Pet. ii. 18, where 
it is rendered gentle. The word means 
that the minister of the Gospel should j 
be a man of mild and kind demeanor, 
such as his Master was. %Not a braid- 
er. Comp. 2 Tim. ii. 24. That is, he 
should not be a man given to conten- 
tion, or apt to take up a quarrel. The 
Greek is, literally, Not disposed to fight. 
IT Not covetous, , Gr. , Not a lover of silver; 
that is, of money. A man should not 
be put into the ministry who is char- 
acteristically a lover of money. Such 
a one, no matter what his talents may 
be, has no proper qualification for the 
office, and will do more harm than 
good. 

4. One that ruleth well his own house. 



This implies that a minister of the 
Gospel w^ould be, and ought to be, a 
married man. It is every where in 
the New Testament supposed that he 
would be a man who could be an ex- 
ample in all the relations of life. The 
position which he occupies in the 
Church has a strong resemblance to 
the relation which a father sustains 
to his household ; and a qualification 
to govern a family well would be an 
evidence of a qualification to preside 
properly in the Church. It is proba- 
ble that, in the early Christian Church, 
ministers were not unfrequently taken 
from those of mature life, and who 
were, at the time, at the head of fami- 
lies ; and, of course, such would be 
men who had had an opportunity of 
showing that they had this qualifica- 
tion for the office. Though, however, 
this can not be insisted on now as a 
previous qualification for the office, yet 
it is still true that, if he has a family, 
it is a necessary qualification, and that 
a man in the ministry should be one 
who governs his own house well. A 
want of this will always be a hindrance 
to extensive usefulness. % Having his 
children in subjection with all gravity. 
This does not mean that his children 
should evince gravity, whatever may 
be true on that point ; but it refers to 
the father. He should be a grave or 
serious man in his family ; a man free 
from levity of character, and from fri- 
volity and fickleness, in his intercourse 
with his children. It does not mean 
that he should be severe, stern, mo- 
rose — which are traits that are often 
mistaken for gravity, and which are 
as inconsistent with the proper spirit 
of a father as frivolity of manner — 
but that he should be a serious and 
sober-minded man. He should main- 
tain proper dignity (o-tyu/oTtjs) ; he 
should cherish self-respect, and his de- 
portment should be such as to inspire 
others with respect for him. 

5. For if a man know not hovj to rule. 
This is a beautiful and striking argu- 
ment. A Church resembles a family. 
It is,- indeed, larger, and there is a 
greater variety of dispositions in it 
than there is "in a family. The au- 
thority of a minister of the Gospel in 
a Church is also less absolute than 



142 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



5 (For if a man know not how to 
rule his own house, how shall he 
take care of the Church of God ?) 

1 or, one newly come to the faith. 

that of a father. But still there is a 
striking resemblance. The Church is 
made up of an assemblage of brothers 
and sisters. They are banded togeth- 
er for the same purposes, and have a 
common object to aim at. They have 
common feelings and common wants. 
They have sympathy, like a family, 
with each other in their distresses 
and afflictions. The government of 
the Church also is designed to be pa- 
ternal. It should be felt that he who 
presides over it has the feelings of a 
father; that he loves all the members 
of the great family; that he has no 
prejudices, no partialities, no selfish 
aims to gratify. Now, if a man can 
not govern his own family well ; if he 
is severe, partial, neglectful, or tyran- 
nical at home, how can he be expected 
to take charge of the more numerous 
''household of faith" with proper 
views and feelings ? If, with all the 
natural and strong ties of affection 
w r hich bind a father to his own chil- 
dren ; if, when they are few compara- 
tively in number, and where his eye 
is constantly upon them, he is unable 
to govern them aright, how can he be 
expected to preside in a proper man- 
ner over the larger household where 
he will be bound with comparatively 
feebler ties, and where he will be ex- 
posed more to the influence of pas- 
sion, and where he will have a much 
less constant opportunity of supervis- 
ion ? Confucius, as quoted by Dodd- 
ridge, has a sentiment strikingly re- 
sembling that before us: "It is im- 
possible that he who knows not how 
to govern and reform his own family, 
should rightly govern and reform a 
people. ' ' We may remark, also, in this 
verse, a delicate and beautiful use of 
words by the apostle to prevent the 
possibility of misapprehension. While 
he institutes a comparison between 
the government of a family and that 
of the Church, he guards against the 
possibility of its being supposed that 
he would countenance arbitrary au- 
thority in the Church, even such au- 
thority as a father must of necessity 
employ in his own family. Hence he 
uses different words. He speaks of 
the father as "ruling" over his own 
family; or presiding over it — TrpoaTr,- 



6 Not 1 a novice, lest being lifted 
up with pride a he fall into the 
condemnation 6 of the devil. 

a Prov. 16. 18. b Jude 6. 

vai ; he describes the minister of re- 
ligion as having a tender care for the 
Church — ETTLfxeXijareTaL. 

6. Not a n ovice. Marg. , one newly come 
to the faith. The Greek word, which 
occurs nowhere else in the New Tes- 
tament, means, properly, that which 
is newly planted. Thus it would mean 
a plant that was not strong, or not 
fitted to bear the severity of storms ; 
that had not as yet struck its roots 
deep, and could not resist the fierce- 
ness of a cold bl^L Then the word 
comes to meanflftew convert; one 
who has had little opportunity to 
test his own faith, or to give evidence 
to others that he w T ould be faithful to 
the trust committed to him. The 
word does not refer so much to one 
who is young in years, as one who is 
young in faith. Still, all the reasons 
which exist against introducing a very 
recent convert into the ministry, will 
apply commonly with equal force 
against introducing one young in 
years. If Lest being lifted up with pride. 
We are not to suppose that this is the 
only reason against introducing a re- 
cent convert into the ministry, but it 
is a sufficient reason. He would be like- 
ly to be elated by being intrusted at 
once with the highest office in the 
Church, and by the commendations 
and flattery which he might receive. 
No condition is ivholly proof against 
this ; but he is much less likely to be 
injured who has had much experience 
of the depravity of his own heart, and 
whose mind has been deeply imbued 
with the spirit of the Gospel. ^ He 
fall into the condemnation of the devil. 
That is, the same kind of condemna- 
tion which the devil fell into ; to wit, 
condemnation on account of pride. 
It is here intimated that the cause of 
the apostasy of Satan was pride — a 
cause which is as likely to have been 
the true one as any oth£r. Who can 
tell but it may have been produced by 
some new honor which was conferred 
on him in heaven, and that his virtue 
was not found sufficient for the un- 
tried circumstances in which he was 
placed? Much of the apostasy from 
eminent virtue in this w T orld arises 
from this cause; and possibly the case 
of Satan may have been the most sig- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



143 



7 Moreover lie must have a good 
report of them a which are without ; 
lest he fall into reproach, and the 
snare 6 of the devil. 

a Acts 22. 12. lThe3s.4.12. 6 c. 6. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 26. 

nal instance of the kind which has oc- 
curred in the universe. The idea of 
Paul is, that a young convert should 
not suddenly be raised to an exalted 
station in the Church. Who can doubt 
the wisdom of this direction? The 
word rendered lifted up (TvcpwSeU) is 
from a verb which means to smoke, 
to fume, to surround with smoke; 
then to inflate — as a bladder is with 
air; and then to be conceited or proud; 
that is, to be like a bladder filled, not 
with a solid substance, but with air. 

7. Moreover he must have a good report 
of them which are without. Who are 
without the Church ; that is, of those 
who are not Christians. This includes, 
of course, all classes of those who are 
not Christians— heathens, infidels, 
Jews, moral men, and scoffers. The 
idea is, that he must have a fair repu- 
tation with them for integrity of char- 
acter. His life must be in their view 
upright. He must not be addicted to 
any thing which they regard as incon- 
sistent with good morals. His de- 
portment must be such that they will 
regard it as not inconsistent with his 
profession. He must be true, and just, 
and . honest in his dealings with his 
fellow-men, and so live that they can 
not say that he has wronged them. 
He must not give occasion for scandal 
or reproach in hu^intercourse with 
the other sex, bi^pnust be regarded 
as a man of a pure life and of a holy 
walk. The reason for this injunction 
is obvious. It is his business to en- 
deavor to do such men good, and to 
persuade them to become Christians. 
But no minister of the Gospel can possi- 
bly do such men good, unless they regard 
him as an upright and honest man. No 
matter, how he preaches or prays ; no 
matter, how orthodox, learned, or ap- 
parently devout he may be, all his ef- 
forts will be in vain unless they regard 
him as a man of incorruptible integ- 
rity. If they hate religion themselves, 
they insist justly that, since he has pro- 
fessed it, he shall be governed by its 
principles; or if they feel its impor- 
tance, they will not be influenced to 
embrace it by a man that they regard 
as hypocritical and impure. Go to a 
man whom you have defrauded, or 



8 Likewise must the deacons e he 
grave, not double-tongued, not d 
given to much wine, not greedy of 
filthy lucre ; 

c Acts 6. 3. d Ver. 3. Lev. 10. 9. 

who regards you as having done or 
attempted to do wrong to himself or 
to any other one, and talk to him 
about the necessity of religion, and 
he will instinctively say that he does 
not want a religion which will not 
make its professor true, honest, and 
pure. It is impossible, therefore, for 
a minister to overestimate the im- 
portance of having a fair character in 
the view of the world, and no man 
should be introduced into the minis- 
try, or sustained in it, who has not a 
fair reputation. Comp. Notes on Col. 
iv. 5 ; 1 Thess. iv. 12. 1 Lest he fall into 
reproach. That is, in such a way as 
to bring dishonor on the ministerial 
character. His life will be such as to 
give men occasion to reproach tne 
cause of religion. And the snare of 
the devil. The snare which the devil 
lays to entrap and ruin the ministers 
of the Gospel and all good men. The 
snare to which reference is here made 
is that of blasting the character and in- 
fluence of the minister of the Gospel. 
The idea is, that Satan lays a snare so 
as to entangle him and to secure this 
object, and the means which he uses 
is the vigilance and suspicion of those 
who are out of the Church. If there 
is any thing of this kind in the life of 
a minister which they can make use 
of, they will be ready to do it. Hence 
the necessity on his part of an upright 
and blameless life. Satan is constant- 
ly aiming at this thing; the world is 
watching for it ; and if the minister 
has any propensity which is not in en- 
tire accordance with honesty, Satan 
will take advantage of it and draw 
him into the snare. 

8. Likewise must the deacons. On the 
meaning of the word deacons, see Notes 
on Phil. i. 1. On their appointment, 
see Notes on Acts vi. 1. The word 
here evidently denotes those who had 
charge of the temporal affairs of the 
Church, the poor, etc. No qualifica- 
tions are mentioned, implying that 
they were to be preachers of the Gos- 
pel. In most respects, except in re- 
gard to preaching, their qualifications 
were to be the same as those of the 
bishops. IT Be grave. Serious, sober- 
minded men. In Acts vi. 3 it is said 



144 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



9 Holding a the mystery 5 of the 
faith in a pure conscience. 

10 And let these also first be 

aEph. 1.9. 

that they should he men of honest re- 
port On the meaning of the word 
grave , see Notes on ver. 4. They should 
be men who by their serious deport- 
ment will inspire respect. If Not double- 
tongued. The word here used — SLXoyos 
— does not occur elsewhere in the New 
Testament. It means, properly, ut- 
tering the same thing twice (from dis 
and At'yw), and then deceitful, or 
speaking one thing and meaning an- 
other. They should be men who can 
be relied on for the exact truth of what 
they say, and for the exact fulfillment 
of their promises. Tf Not given to much 
wine. See ver. 3. The word much is 
added here to what is said (ver. 2) of 
the qualification of a bishop. It is not 
affirmed that it would be proper for 
the deacon, any more than the bishop, 
to indulge in the use of wine in small 
quantities, but it is affirmed that a man 
who is much given to the use of wine 
ought not, on any consideration, to be 
a deacon. It may be remarked here, 
that this qualification was every where 
regarded as necessary for a minister 
of religion. Even the heathen priests, 
on entering a temple, did not drink 
wine. — Bloomjield. The use of wine, 
and of strong drinks of all kinds, was 
absolutely prohibited to the Jewish 
ministers of every rank when they 
were about to engage in the service 
of God. Lev. x. 9. Why should it be 
any more proper for a Christian min- 
ister to drink wine than for a Jewish 
or a heathen priest ? Shall a minister 
of the Gospel be less holy than they? 
Shall he have a feebler sense of the 
purity of his vocation ? Shall he be 
less careful lest he expose himself to 
the possibility of conducting the serv- 
ices of religion in an irreverent and 
silly manner. Shall he venture to ap- 
proach the altar of God under the in- 
fluence of intoxicating drinks, when a 
sense of propriety restrained the hea- 
then priest, and a solemn statute of 
Jehovah restrained the Jewish priest 
from doing it ? If Not greedy of filthy 
lucre. See Notes on ver. 3. The spe- 
cial reason why this qualification was 
important in the deacon was, that he 
would be intrusted with the funds of 
the Church, and might be tempted to 
appropriate them to his own use in- 



proved ; then let them use the of- 
fice of a deacon, being found blame- 
less. 

b Ver. 16. 



stead of the charitable purposes for 
which they were designed. See this 
illustrated in the case of Judas, John 
xii. 6. 

9. Holding the mystery of the faith. On 
the word mystery, see Notes on 1 Cor. 
ii. 7. It means that which had been 
concealed, or hidden, but which was 
now revealed. The word faith, here, is 
synonymous with the Gospel; and the 
sense is, that he should hold firmly the 
great doctrines of the Christian relig- 
ion which had been so long concealed 
from men, but which were now reveal- 
ed. The reason is obvious. Though 
not a preacher, yet his influence and 
example would be great, and a man 
who held material error ought not to 
be in the office. Tf In a pure conscience. 
A mere orthodox faith was not all that 
was necessary, for it was possible that 
a man might be professedly firm in 
the belief of the truths of revelation, 
and yet be corrupt at heart. 

10. And let these also be first proved. 
That is, tried or tested in regard to 
the things which were the proper qual- 
ifications for the office. This does not 
mean that they were to be employed 
as preachers, but that they were to un- 
dergo a proper trial in regard to their 
fitness for the office which they were 
to fill. They were not to be put into 
it without any opportunity of know- 
ing what they wej^ It should be as- 
certained that tWfcvere grave, seri- 
ous, temperate, trustworthy men ; men 
who were sound in the faith, and who 
would not dishonor the office. It is 
not said here that there should be a 
formal trial, as if they were candidates 
for this office ; but the meaning is, 
that they should have had an opportu- 
nity of making their character known, 
and should have gained such respect 
for their piety, and their other quali- 
fications, that there would be reason 
to believe that they would perform the 
functions of the office well. Thus, in 
Acts vi. 3, when deacons were first ap- 
pointed, the Church was directed to 
"look out seven men of honest report,'''' 
who might be appointed to the office. 
If Then let them use the office of a deacon. 
Let them be appointed to this office, 
and fulfill its duties. If Being found 
blameless. If nothing can be alleged 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



145 



11 Even so must their wives a be 
grave, not slanderers, sober, faith- 
ful in all things. 

12 Let the deacons be the hus- 
bands of one wife, ruling b their 

a Tit. 2.3. fiver. 4. 



against their character. See Notes on 
ver. 2. 

11. Even so must their wives be grave. 
Chrysostom, Theophylact, Grotius, 
Bloomfield, and many others, suppose 
that by the word wives, here (yvualKa<s), 
the apostle means deaconesses. Clarke 
supposes that it refers to women in 
general. The reason assigned for sup- 
posing that it does not refer to the 
wives of deacons, as such, is, that noth- 
ing is said of the qualifications of the 
wives of bishops— a matter of as much 
importance as that of the character of 
the wife of a deacon ; and that it can 
not be supposed that the apostle would 
specify the one without some allusion 
to the other. But that the common 
interpretation, which makes it refer to 
the wives of deacons, as such, is to be 
adhered to, seems to me to be clear. 
For (1. ) it is the obvious and natural 
interpretation. (2.) The word here 
used — wives— is never used of itself to 
denote deaconesses. (3.) If the apos- 
tle had meant deaconesses, it would 
have been easy to express it without 
ambiguity. Compare Notes on Rom. 
xvi. 1. (4. ) What is here mentioned is 
important, whether the same thing is 
mentioned of bishops or not. (5.) In 
the qualifications of bishops, the apos- 
tle had made a statement respecting 
his family which made any specifica- 
tion about the particular members of 
the family unnecessary. He was to be 
one who presided in a proper manner 
over his own house, or who had a well- 
regulated family. Vs. 4, 5. By a com- 
parison of this passage, also, with Ti- 
tus ii. 3, 4, which bears a strong resem- 
blance to this, it would seem that it 
was supposed that the deacons would 
be taken from those who were ad- 
vanced in life, and that their wives 
would have some superintendence 
over the younger females of theChurch . 
It was, therefore, especially important 
that they should be persons whose in- 
fluence would be known to be decid- 
edly favorable to piety. No one can 
doubt that the character of a woman 
may be such that it is not desirable 
that her husband should be an officer 
G 



children and their own houses 
well. 

13 For they that have 1 used the 
office of a deacon well, c purchase 
to themselves a good degree, and 

1 or, ministered. c Matt. 25. 21. 



in the Church. A bad woman ought 
not to be intrusted with any addition- 
al power or influence. if Grave. See 
Notes on verse 4. if Not slanderers. 
Compare Titus ii. 3, u Not false accus- 
ers. " The Greek word is 6iaf36\ov<! 
— devils. It is used here in its origi- 
nal and proper sense, to denote a ca- 
lumniator, slanderer, or accuser. It 'oc- 
curs in the same sense in 2 Tim. hi. 
3, and Titus ii. 3. Elsewhere in the 
New Testament it is uniformly ren- 
dered devil (comp. Notes on Matt. iv. 
1), and is given to Satan, the prince of 
the fallen angels (Matt. ix. 34), by way 
of eminence, as the accuser. Comp. 
Notes on Job i. 6-11, and Rev. xii. 10. 
Here it means that they should not be 
women who were in the habit of ca- 
lumniating others, or aspersing their 
character. Mingling as they would 
with the Church, and having an op- 
portunity to claim acquaintance with 
many, it would be in their power, if 
they chose, to do great injury to the 
character of others. if Sober. See Notes 
on ver. 2. if Faithful in all things. To 
their husbands, to their families, to the 
Church, to the Saviour. 

12. Let the deacons be the husbands of 
one wife. See Notes on ver. 2. if Rul- 
ing their children and their own houses 
well. See Notes on vs. 4, 5. 

13. For they that have used the office 
of a deacon well. Marg., ministered. The 
Greek word is literally " they who have 
deaconized well" meaning ministering, 
or serving in the ofhce of a deacon. 
The sense would be well expressed by 
the phrase deaconizing well. The word 
implies nothing as to the exact na- 
ture of the office. if Purchase to them- 
selves. Procure for themselves. See 
this word explained in the Notes on 
Acts xx. 28. If A good degree. The word 
here used (PaS/uos) occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. It means, 
properly, a step, as of a stair ; and the 
fair meaning is that of going up high- 
er, or taking an additional step of dig- 
nity, honor, or standing. So far as the 
word is concerned, it may mean either 
an advance in office, in dignity, in re- 
spectability, or in influence. It can 



146 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58, 



great boldness in the faith ° which 
is in Christ Jesus. 

14 These things write I unto thee, 
hoping to come unto thee shortly : 

a 2 Tim. 2. 1. 

not certainly be inferred that the apos- 
tle referred to a higher grade of office; 
for all that the word essentially im- 
plies is that, by exercising this office 
well, a deacon would secure addition- 
al respectability and influence in the 
Church. Still, it is possible that those 
who had performed the duties of this 
office well were usually appointed to 
be preachers. They may have shown 
so much piety, prudence, good sense, 
and ability to preside over the Church, 
that it was judged proper that they 
should be advanced to the office of 
pastors of the churches. Such a course 
would not be unnatural. This is, how- 
ever, far from teaching that the office 
of a deacon is a subordinate office, with 
a view to an ascent to a higher grade. 
U And great boldness in the faith. The 
word here rendered boldness properly 
refers to boldness in speaking. See it 
explained in the Notes on Acts iv. 13. 
Comp. 2 Cor. iii. 12 ; Phil. i. 20. But 
the word is commonly used to denote 
boldness of any kind — openness, frank- 
ness, confidence, assurance. John viii. 
13, 26 ; Mark viii. 32 ; 2 Cor. vii. 4. As 
it is here connected vr\\fo faith — 4 ' bold- 
ness in the faith" — it means, evident- 
ly, not so much public speaking, as a 
manly and independent exercise of 
faith in Christ. The sense is, that by 
the faithful performance of the duties 
of the office of a deacon, and by the 
kind of experience which a man would 
have in that office, he would establish 
a character of firmness in the faith 
which would show that he was a de- 
cided Christian. This passage, there- 
fore, can not be fairly used to prove 
that the deacon was a preacher, or that 
he belonged to a grade of ministerial 
office from which he was regularly to 
rise to that of a presbyter. 

14. These things write I unto thee, hop- 
ing to come unto thee shortly. That is, 
he hoped to come there to give in- 
structions personally, or to finish him- 
self the work which he had commenced 
in Ephesus, and which had been inter- 
rupted by his being driven so unex- 
pectedly away. This verse proves that 
the apostle did not regard Timothy 
as the permanent diocesan bishop of 
Ephesus. Would any Episcopal bish- 



15 But if I tarry long, that thou 
mayest know how thou oughtest 
to behave thyself in the house 6 of 
God, which is the Church of the 

h 2 Tim. 2. 20. 

op write this to another bishop ? If 
Timothy were the permanent prelate 
of Ephesus,would Paul have intimated 
that he expected soon to come and 
take the work of completing the ar- 
rangements there into his own hands ? 
In regard to his expectation of going 
soon to Ephesus, see Notes on ch. i. 3. 
Comp. the Introd. to the Epistle. 

15. But if I tarry long. Paul appears 
to have been uncertain how long cir- 
cumstances would require him to be 
absent. He expected to return, but it 
was possible that his hope of return- 
ing soon wouldbe disappointed. ^Tliat 
thou mayest know how thou oughtest to 
behave thyself. That is, that he might 
have just views about settling the af- 
fairs of the Church. IT In the house of 
God. This does not mean in a place 
ofpublicworship,and,ofcourse,itdoes 
not refer to propriety of deportment 
there. It refers rather to the Church 
as a body of believers, and to inter- 
course with them. The Church is call- 
ed the "house of God," because it is 
that in which he dwells. Formerly, 
his peculiar residence was in the Tem- 
ple at Jerusalem ; now that the Tem- 
ple is destroyed, it is in the Church of 
Christ, among his people. 2 Cor. vi. 
16. If Which is the Church of the living 
God. This seems to have been added 
to impress the mind of Timothy with 
the solemn nature of the duty which 
he was to perform. What he did per- 
tained to the honor and welfare of the 
Church of the living God, and hence 
he should feel the importance of a 
correct deportment, and of a right ad- 
ministration of its affairs. % The pil- 
lar and ground of the truth. There has 
been no little diversity of opinion 
among critics whether this phrase is 
to be taken in connection with the 
preceding, meaning that the Church is 
the pillar and ground of the truth ; or 
whether it is to be taken in connection 
with what follows, meaning that the 
principal support of the truth was the 
doctrine there referred to — that God 
was manifest in the flesh. Bloomfield 
remarks on this : " It is surprising that 
any who have any knowledge or ex- 
perience in Greek literature could tol- 
erate so harsh a construction as that 



V 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



147 



living God, the pillar and 1 ground 
of the truth, 
16 And, without controversy, 



1 or, stay. 

2 manifested, 



a 1 Cor. 2. 7. 

b John 1. 14. 1 John 1. 2. 



great is the mystery a of godliness : 
God was manifest 2 in the flesh, 6 
justified in the Spirit, c seen of an- 



c Matt. 3. 16. John 16. 8, 9 
1 John 5. 6. 



Rom. 1.4. 1 Pet. 3. 18. 



which arises from the latter method." 
The more natural interpretation cer- 
tainly is to refer it to the former ; and 
this is supported by the consideration 
that it would then fall in with the ob- 
ject of the apostle. His design here 
seems to be to impress Timothy with 
a deep sense of the importance of cor- 
rect conduct in relation to the Church ; 
of the responsibility of those who pre- 
side over it ; and of the necessity of 
care and caution in the selection of 
proper officers. To do this, he reminds 
him that the truth of God— that re- 
vealed truth which he has given to save 
the world — is intrusted to the Church ; 
that the Church designed to preserve 
it pure, to defend it, and to transmit 
it to future times ; and that, therefore, 
every one to whom the administration 
of the affairs of the Church is intrust- 
ed should engage in this duty with a 
deep conviction of his responsibility. 
On the construction of the passage, 
Bloomfield, Rosenmiiller, and Clarke 
may be consulted. The word u pillar" 
means a column, such as that by which 
a building is supported, and then any 
firm prop or support. Gal. ii. 9; Rev. 
iii. 12. If it refers to the Church here, 
it means that that is the support of 
the truth, as a pillar is of a building. 
It sustains it amid the war of ele- 
ments, the natural tendency to fall, and 
the assaults which may be made on it, 
and, preserves it when it would other- 
wise tumble into ruin. Thus it is with 
the Church. It is intrusted with the 
business of maintaining the truth, of 
defending itfrom the assaults of error, 
and of transmitting it to future times. 
The truth is, in fact, upheld in the 
world by the Church. The people of 
the world feel no interest in defend- 
ing it, and it is owing to the Church 
of Christ that it is preserved and trans- 
mitted from age to age. The word ren- 
dered "ground" — eSpaiu)/j.a — means, 
properly, a basis or foundation. The 
figure here is evidently taken from 
architecture, as the use of the word 
pillar is. The proper meaning of the 
one expression would be, that truth is 
supported by the Church, as an edifice 
is by a pillar ; of the other, that the 
truth rests on the Church, as a house 



does on its foundation. It is that 
which makes it fixed, stable, per- 
manent; that on which it securely 
stands amid storms and tempests; 
that which renders it firm when sys- 
tems of error are swept away as a 
house that is built on the sand. Comp. 
Notes on Matt. vii. 24-27. The mean- 
ing, then, is that the stability of the 
truth on earth is dependent on the 
Church. It is owing to the fact that 
the Church is itself founded on a rock 
— that the gates of hell can not prevail 
against it — that no storms of persecu- 
tion can overthrow it— that the truth 
is preserved from age to age. Other 
systems of religion are sw T ept away ; 
other opinions change; other forms 
of doctrine vanish ; but the knowledge 
of the great system of redemption is 
preserved on earth unshaken, because 
the Church is preserved, and because 
its foundations can not be moved. 
This does not refer, I suppose, to 
creeds and confessions, or to the de- 
cisions of synods and councils ; but to 
the living spirit of truth and piety in 
the Church itself. As certainly as the 
Church continues to live, so certain 
it will be that the truth of God will be 
perpetuated among men. 

16. And, toithout controversy. Unde- 
niably, certainly, without contradic- 
tion. The object of the apostle is to 
say that the truth which he was about 
to state admitted of no dispute. 
T[ Great is the mystery. On the mean- 
ing of the word mystery, see Notes on 
1 Cor. ii. 7. The word means that 
which had been hidden or concealed. 
The meaning here is not that the prop- 
osition which he affirms was mysteri- 
ous in the sense that it was unintelli- 
gible, or impossible to be understood ; 
but that the doctrine respecting the 
incarnation and the w r ork of the'Mes- 
siah, which had been so long kept hid- 
den from the world, was a subject of 
the deepest importance. This passage, 
therefore, should not be used to prove 
that there is any thing unintelligible, 
or any thing that surpasses human 
comprehension, in thatdoctrine,what- 
ever may be the truth on that point; 
but that the doctrine which the apos- 
tle now proceeds to state, and which 



148 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



had been so long concealed from man- 
kind, is of the utmost consequence. 
^ Of godliness. The word godliness 
means, properly, piety, reverence, or 
religiousness. It is used here, how- 
ever, for the Gospel scheme, to wit, 
that which the apostle proceeds to de- 
scribe. This " mystery," which had 
" been hidden from ages and from gen- 
erations, and which was now man- 
ifest" (Col. i. 26), is the great doctrine 
on which religion depends every where, 
or is that which constitutes the Chris- 
tian scheme. IT God. Probably there 
is no passage in the New Testament 
which has excited so much discussion 
among critics as this, and none in ref- 
erence to which it is so difficult to de- 
termine the true reading. It is the 
only one, it is believed, in which the 
microscope has been employed to de- 
termine the lines of the letters used in 
a manuscript; and, after all that has 
been done to ascertain the exact truth 
in regard to it, still the question re- 
mains undecided. It is not the object 
of these Notes to enter into the ex- 
amination of questions of this nature. 
A full investigation may be found in 
Wets tern. The question which has ex- 
cited so much controversy is, whether 
the original Greek word was Geos, 
God, or whether it was os, who, or 6, 
which. The controversy has turned, 
to a considerable degree, on the read- 
ing in the Codex Alexandrinus ; and a 
remark or two on the method in which 
the manuscripts of the New Testament 
were written will show the true na- 
ture of the controversy. Greek manu- 
scripts were formerly written entirely 
in capital letters, and without breaks 
or intervals between the words, and 
without accents. See a full descrip- 
tion of the methods of writing theNew 
Testament, in an article by Prof. Stu- 
art, in Dr.Kobinson's Bibliotheca Sacra, 
No. 2, p. 254, seq. The small, cursive 
Greek letters which are now used, 
were not commonly employed in tran- 
scribing the New Testament, if at all, 
until the ninth or tenth centuries. It 
was a common thing, also, to abridge 
or contract words in the manuscript. 
Thus, irp would be used for 7raTsp, 
father; ks for Kvpios, Lord; .9-s for 3-eos, 
God, etc. The words thus contracted 
were designated by a faint line or dash 
over them. In this place, therefore, 
if the original were 6C, standing fol- 
ios, God, and the lme in the 6, and 
the faint line over it, were obliterated 



from any cause, it would be easily mis- 
taken for GC — os — who. To ascertain 
which of these is the true reading, 
has been the great question; and it 
is with reference to this that the mi- 
croscope has been resorted to in the 
examination of the Alexandrian man- 
uscript. It is now generally admitted 
that the faint line over the word has 
been added by some later hand, though 
not improbably by one who found that 
the line was nearly obliterated, and 
who meant merely to restore it. 
Whether the letter O was originally 
written with a line within it, making 
the reading God, it is now said to 
be impossible to determine, in con- 
sequence of the manuscript at this 
place having become so much worn by 
frequent examination. The Vulgate 
and the Syriac read it who or which. 
The Vulgate is, "Great is the sacra- 
ment of piety which was manifested in 
the flesh." The Syriac, "Great is the 
mystery of godliness, that he was man- 
ifested.in the flesh." The probability 
in regard to the correct reading here, 
as it seems to me, is that the word, 
as originally written, was Sreds, God. 
At the same time, however, the evi- 
dence is not so clear that it can be 
properly used in an argument. But 
the passage is not necessary to prove 
the doctrine which is affirmed, on the 
supposition that that is the correct 
reading. The same truth is abundant- 
ly taught elsewhere. Comp. Matt. i. 
23 ; John i. 14. ^ Was manifest. Marg. , 
Manifested. The meaning is, appeared 
in the flesh. H In the flesh. In human 
nature. See this explained in the 
Notes on Rom. i. 3. The expression 
here looks as though the true reading 
of the much-disputed word was God. 
It could not have been 6, which, refer- 
ring to "mystery;" for how could a 
mystery "be manifested in the flesh?" 
Nor could it be os, who, unless that 
should refer to one who was more than 
a man; for how absurd would it be 
to say that "a man was manifested, 
or appeared in the flesh !" How else 
could a man appear? The phrase here 
means that God appeared in human 
form, or with human nature ; and this 
is declared to be the "great" truth so 
long concealed from human view, but 
now revealed as constituting the fun- 
damental doctrine of the Gospel. The 
expressions which follow in this verse 
refer to God as thus manifested in the 
flesh ; to the Saviour as he appeared 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



149 



on earth, regarded as a divine and hu- 
man being. It was the fact that he 
thus appeared and sustained this char- 
acter which made the things which 
are immediately specified so remark- 
able, and so worthy of attention. ^Jus- 
tified in the Spirit. That is, the incar- 
nate person above referred to; the 
Redeemer, regarded as God and man. 
The word Spirit, here, it is evident, re- 
fers to the Holy Spirit ; for (1.) it is 
not possible to attach any intelligible 
idea to the phrase, "he was justified 
by his own spirit, or soul;" (2.) as the 
Holy Spirit performed so important a 
part in the work of Christ, it is natural 
to suppose there would be some allu- 
sion here to him ; and (3.) as the " an- 
gels" are mentioned here as having 
been with him, and as the Holy Spir- 
it is often mentioned in connection 
with him, it is natural to suppose that 
there would be some allusion to him 
here. The word justified, here, is not 
employed in the sense in which it is 
used when applied to Christians, but 
in its more common signification. It 
means to vindicate; and the sense is, 
that he was shown to be the Son of 
God by the agency of the Holy Ghost; 
tnat he was thus vindicated from 
the charges alleged against him. The 
Holy Spirit furnished the evidence that 
he was the Son of God, or justified his 
claims. Thus he descended on him 
at his baptism, Matt. iii. 16; he was 
sent to convince the world of sin be- 
cause it did not believe on him, John 
xvi. 8, 9; the Saviour cast out devils 
by him, Matt. xii. 28; the Spirit was 
given to him without measure, John 
iii. 34 ; and the Spirit was sent down 
in accordance with his promise, to 
convert the hearts of men, Acts ii. 
33. All the manifestations of God to 
the Saviour ; all the power of work- 
ing miracles by the agency of the Spir- 
it ; all the influences imparted to the 
man Christ Jesus, endfwing him with 
such a wisdom as man never had be- 
fore, may be regarded as an attestation 
of the Holy Ghost to the divine mis- 
sion of the Lord Jesus, and of course 
as a vindication from all the charges 
against him. In like manner, the de- 
scent of the Holy Ghost on the day 
of Pentecost, and his agency in the 
conversion of sinners, proves the same 
thing, and furnishes an unanswerable 
argument in vindication of the Re- 
deemer that he was sent from God. 
To this the apostle refers as a part of 



the glorious truth of the Christian 
scheme now revealed — the "mystery 
of religion ;" as a portion of the amaz- 
ing record which the Church was to 
preserve as connected with the re- 
demption of the world. % Seen of an- 
gels. They were attendants on his min- 
istry, and came to him in times of dis- 
tress, peril, and want. Comp. Luke ii. 
9-13; xxii.43; xxiv.4; Heb.i.6; Matt, 
iv. 11. They felt an interest in him 
and his work, and they gladly came to 
| him in his sorrows and troubles. The 
design of the apostle is to give an im- 
pressive view of the grandeur and glo- 
ry of that work which attracted the 
attention of the heavenly hosts, and 
which drew them from the skies that 
they might proclaim his advent, sus- 
tain him in his temptations, witness 
his crucifixion, and watch over him in 
the tomb. The work of Christ, though 
despised by men, excited the deepest 
interest in hea*ven. Comp. Notes on 
1 Pet. i. 12. T[ Preached unto the Gen- 
tiles. This is placed by the apostle 
among the "great" things which con- 
stituted the "im'stery" of religion. 
The meaning is, that it was a glorious 
truth that salvation might be, and 
should be, proclaimed to all mankind. 
Elsewhere this is called, by way of em- 
inence, " the mystery of the Gospel;" 
that is, the grand truth which had not 
been known until the coming of the 
Saviour. See Notes on Eph. vi. 19; 
Col. i. 26, 27; iv. 3. Before his com- 
ing, a wall of partition had divided the 
Jewish and Gentile world. The Jews 
regarded the rest of mankind as ex- 
cluded from the covenant mercies of 
God, and it was one of frhe principal 
stumbling-blocks in their way, in re- 
gard to the Gospel, that it proclaimed 
that all the race is on a level, that that 
middle wall of partition has-been bro- 
ken down, and that salvation may now 
be published to all men. Comp. Acts 
xxii. 21 ; Eph. ii. 14, 15 ; Rom. iii. 22 ; 
x. 11-20. The Jew now has no pecul- 
iar advantage for salvation by being 
a Jew; the Gentile is not excluded 
from the hope of salvation. The plan 
of redemption is adapted to man as 
such — without regard to his complex- 
ion, country, customs, or laws. The 
blood of Christ was shed for all, and 
wherever a human being can be found, 
salvation may be freely offered him. 
This is a glorious truth ; and taken in 
all its bearings, and in reference to the 
views which then prevailed, and which 



150 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A J). 58. 



have always more or less prevailed 
about the distinctions made among 
men by caste and rank, there is scarce- 
ly any more glorious truth connected 
with the Christian revelation, or one 
which will exert a wider influence in 
promoting the welfare of man than this. 
It is a great privilege to be permitted 
to proclaim that all men, in one re- 
spect — and that the most important 
— are on a level ; that they are all equal- 
ly the objects of the divine compas- 
sion ; that Christ died for one as real- 
ly as for another; that birth, wealth, 
elevated rank, or beauty of complex- 
ion, contribute nothing to the salva- 
tion of one, and that poverty, a dark- 
er skin, slavery, or a meaner rank, do 
nothing to exclude another from the 
favor of his Maker. If Believed on in the 
world. This also is mentioned among 
the u great" things which constitute 
the mystery of revealed religion. But 
why is this regarded as* so remarkable 
as to be mentioned thus ? In point of 
importance, how can it be mentioned 
in connection with the fact that God 
was manifest in the flesh ; that he was 
vindicated by the Holy Ghost ; that he 
was an object of intense interest to an- 
gelic hosts, and that his coming broke 
down the walls which had separated 
the world, and placed them now on a 
level? I answer, perhaps the follow- 
ing circumstances may have induced 
the apostle to place this among the 
remarkable things evincing the great- 
ness of this truth: (1.) The strong im- 
probability arising from the greatness 
of the u mystery," that the doctrine 
respectingthe incarnate Deity would 
be believed.* Such is the incompre- 
hensible nature of many of the truths 
connected with the incarnation; so 
strange does it seem that God would 
become incarnate ; so amazing was it 
that he should appear in human form, 
and that the incarnate Son of God 
should die, that it might be regarded 
as a wonderful thing that such a doc- 
trine had in fact obtained credence in 
the world. But it was a glorious fact 
that all the natural improbabilities in 
the case had been overcome, and that 
men had accredited the announce- 
ment. (2.) The strong improbability 
that his message w r ould be believed, 
arising from the wickedness of the hu- 
man heart. Man, in all his history, 
had shown a strong reluctance to be- 
lieve any message from God, or any 
truth whatever revealed by him. The 



J ews had rejected his prophets and put 
them to death (Matt, xxiii., Acts vii.); 
and had at last put his own Son — their 
Messiah — to death. Man every where 
had shown his strong inclination to 
unbelief. There is in the human soul 
no elementary principle or germ of 
faith in God. Every man is an unbe- 
liever by nature — an infidel first; a 
Christian afterward ; an infidel as he 
comes into the world ; a believer only 
as he is made so by grace. The apos- 
tle, therefore, regarded it as a glorious 
fact that the message respecting the 
Saviour had been believed in the world. 
It overcame such a strong and univer- 
sal reluctance to confide in God that 
it showed that there was more than 
human power in operation to over- 
come this reluctance. (3.) The extent 
to which this had been done may have 
been a reason why he thought it 
worthy of the place which he gives it 
here. It had been embraced, not by 
a few, but by thousands in all lands 
where the Gospel had been published ; 
and it was proof of the truth of the 
doctrine, and ofthe great power of God, 
that such high mysteries as those re- 
lating to redemption, and so much op- 
posed to the natural feelings of the 
human heart, should have been em- 
braced by so many. The same thing oc- 
curs now. The Gospel makes its way 
against the native incredulity ofthe 
world, and every new convert is an ad- 
ditional demonstration that it is from 
God, and a new illustration of the 
greatness of this mystery. Received 
up into glory. To heaven. Comp. John 
xvii. 5. See Notes on Acts i. 9. This 
is mentioned as among the "great" 
or remarkable things pertaining to 
u godliness," or to the Christian rev- 
elation, because it was an event which 
had not elsewhere occurred, and was 
the crowning grandeur of the work 
of Christ. As such it was fitted to ex- 
cite the deepesTinterest in heaven it- 
self. No event of more importance 
has ever occurred in the universe, of 
which we have any knowledge, than 
the re-ascension ofthe triumph- 
ant Son of God to glory after having 
accomplished the redemption of a 
world. 

In view of the instructions in this 
chapter, we may make the following 
remarks : 

1. The word bishop in the New Tes- 
tament never means what is now com- 
monly understood by it— a Prelate. It 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER III. 



151 



does not denote here, or any where 
else in the New Testament, one who 
has charge over a diocese composed of 
a certain district of country, embra- 
cing a number of churches with their 
clergy. 

2. "There are not "three orders" of 
clergy in the New Testament. The 
apostle Paul in this chapter expressly 
designates the characteristics of those 
who should have charge of the Church, 
but mentions only two, u bishops" 
and ** deacons." The former are min- 
isters of the word, having charge of 
the spiritual interests of the Church ; 
the others are deacons, of whom there 
is no evidence that they were appoint- 
ed to preach. There is no 44 third" 
order. There is no allusion to any 
one who was to be " superior" to the 
"bishops" and "deacons." As the 
apostle was expressly giving instruc- 
tions in regard to the organization of 
the Church, such an omission is un- 
accountable if he supposed there was 
to be an order of "prelates" in the 
Church. Why is there no allusion to 
them ? Why is there no mention of 
their qualifications ? If Timothy was 
himself a prelate, was he to have noth- 
ing to do in transmitting the office to 
others? "V^ere there no peculiar quali- 
fications required in such an order of 
men which it would be proper to men- 
tion ? Would it not be respectful, at 
least, in Paul to have made some al- 
lusion to such an office, if Timothy 
himself held it? 

3. There is only one order of preach- 
ers in the Church. The qualifications 
of that order are specified with great 
minuteness and particularity, as well 
as beauty. Ver. 2-7.. No man really 
needs to know more of the qualifica- 
tions for this office than could be 
learned from a prayerful study of this 
passage. 

4. A man who enters the ministry 
should have high qualifications. Ver. 
2-7. No man ought, under any pre- 
tense, to be put into the ministry who 
has not the qualifications here speci- 
fied. Nothing is gained in any de- 
partment of human labor by appoint- 
ing an incompetent person to fill it. A 
farmer gains nothing by employing a 
man on his farm who has no proper 
qualifications for his business ; a car- 
penter, a shoemaker, or a blacksmith 
gains nothing by employing a man 
who knows nothing about his trade; 
a neighborhood gains nothing by em- 



ploying a man as a teacher of a school 
who has no qualifications to teach, or 
who has a bad character. Such a man 
would do more mischief on a farm, or 
in a work-shop, or in a school, than 
all the good which he could do would 
compensate. And so it is in the min- 
istry. The true object is not to in- 
crease the number of ministers; it is 
to increase the number of those who 
are qualified for their work, and if a man 
has 7iot the qualifications laid down by 
the inspired apostle, he should seek 
some other calling. 

5. The Church is the guardian of 
the truth. Ver. 15. It is appointed 
to preserve it pure, and to transmit it 
to future ages. The world is depend- 
ent on it for any just views of truth. 
It has the power, and is intrusted with 
the duty, of preserving on earth a just 
knowledge of God and of eternal 
things ; of the way of salvation ; of 
the requirements of pure morality: 
to keep up the knowledge of that 
truth which tends to elevate society 
and to save mau. It is intrusted with 
the Bible, to preserve it uncorrupted, 
and to transmit it to distant ages and 
lands. It is bound to maintain and 
assert the truth in its creeds and con- 
fessions of faith. And it is to preserve 
the truth b} 7 the holy lives of its mem- 
bers, and to show in their walk what 
is the appropriate influence of truth 
on the soul. Whatever religious truth 
there is now on the earth has been 
thus preserved and transmitted, and 
it still devolves on the Church to bear 
the truth of God on to future times, 
and to diffuse it abroad to distant 
lands. 

6. The closing verse of this chapter 
(ver. 16) gives us a most elevated view 
of the plan of salvation, and of its 
grandeur and glory. It would be dif- 
ficult, if not impossible, to condense 
more interesting and sublime thought 
into so narrow a compass as this. The 
great mystery of the incarnation ; the 
in terestof angelic beings in the events 
of redemption ; the effect of the Gos- 
pel on the heathen world; the ten- 
dency of the Christian religion to 
break down every barrier among men, 
and to place all the race on a level; 
its power in overcoming the unbelief 
of mankind ; and the re-ascension of 
the Son of God to heaven, having ac- 
complished his work, present a series 
of most wonderful facts to our con- 

I templation. These things are found 



152 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



in no other system of religion, and 
these are worthy of the profound at- 
tention of every human being. The 
manifestation of God in the flesh! 
What a thought ! It was worthy of 
the deepest interest among the an- 
gels, and it claims the attention of 
men, for it was for men and not for 
angels that he thus appeared in hu- 
man form. Comp. Notes on 1 Pet. i.12. 

7. How strange it is that man feels 
no more interest in these things ! God 
was manifest in the flesh for his sal- 
vation, but he does not regard it. An- 
gels looked upon it with wonder ; but 
man, for whom the Redeemer came, 
feels little interest in his advent or 
his work! The Christian religion has 
broken down the barrier among na- 
tions, and has proclaimed that all men 
may be saved; yet the mass of men 
look on this with entire unconcern. 
The Son of God ascended to heaven, 
having finished his great work ; but 
how little interest do the mass of 
mankind feel in this ! He will come 
again to judge the world; but the race 
moves on regardless of this truth, un- 
alarmed at the prospect of meeting 
him, feeling no interest in the assur- 
ance that he has come and died for 
sinners, and no apprehension in view 
of the fact that he will come again, 
and that they must stand at his bar. 
All heaven was moved with his first ad- 
vent, and will be with his second ; but 
the earth regards it with unconcern. 
Angelic beings look upon this with 
the deepest anxiety, though they have 
no personal interest in it; man, though 
all his great interests are concentrated 
on it, regards it as a fable, disbelieves 
it all, and treats it with contempt and 
scorn. Such is the difference between 
heaven and earth — angels and men ! 

CHAPTER IV. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

There is, in many respects, a strong 
resemblance between the first part of 
this chapter and 2 Thess. ii. Comp. 
Notes on that chapter. The leading 
object of this chapter is to state to 
Timothy certain things of which he 
was constantly to remind the Church ; 
and, having done this, the apostle gives 
him some directions about his per- 
sonal deportment. The chapter may 
be conveniently divided into three 
parts : 

I. Timothy was to put the Church 
constantly in remembrance of the 



great apostasy which was to occur, 
and to guard them against the doc- 
trines which would be inculcated un- 
der that apostasy. Ver. 1-6. 

(a) There was to be, in the latter 
days, a great departing from the 
faith. Ver. 1. 

(b) Some of the characteristics of 
that apostasy were these: there 
would be a giving heed to sedu- 
cing spirits and doctrines of dev- 
ils. Ver. 1. Those who taught 
would hypocritically speak what 
they knew to be falsehood, having 
their own consciences seared. 
Ver. 2. They would forbid to 
marry, and forbid the use of cer- 
tain articles of food which God 
had appointed for man. Ver. 3-5. 

II. Timothy was to warn the church- 
es against trifling and superstitious 
views, such as the apostle calls "old 
wives' fables." Ver. 7-11. 

(a) He was not to allow himself to 
be influenced by such fables, but 
at once to reject them. Ver. 7. 

(b) The bodily exercise which the 
friends of such "fables" recom- 
mended was of no advantage to 
the soul, and no stress ought to 

' be laid on it, as if it were impor- 
tant. Ver. 8. ^ 

(c) That which was truly profitable, 
and which ought to be regarded as 
important, was godliness ; for that 
had promise of the present life, 
and of the life to come. Ver. 8. 

(d) Timothy must expect, in giving 
these instructions, to endure la- 
bor and to suffer reproach ; nev- 
ertheless, he was faithfully to in- 
culcate these important truths. 
Vs. 10, 11. 

III. Various admonitions respecting 
his personal deportment. Ver. 12-16. 

(a) He was so to live that no one 
would despise him or his ministry 
because he was young. Ver. 12. 

(&)He was to give a constant atten- 
tion to his duties until the apos- 
tle should himself return to him. 
Ver. 13. 

(c) He was carefully to inculcate the 
gift which had been conferred by 
his education, and by his ordina- 
tion to the work of the ministry. 
Ver. 14. 

(d) He was to meditate on these 
things, and to give himself wholly 
to the work, so that his profiting 
might appear to all. Ver. 15. 

(e) He was to take good heed to 



A.D. 



58J 



CHAPTER IV. 



153 



gels, a preached unto the Gentiles, 
b believed on c in the world, re- 
ceived up d into glory. 

a Matt. 4. 11. Luke 2. 13. Eph. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1.12. 
b Acts 13.46,48. Rom. 10. 12, 18. 



CHAPTER IV. 

NOW the Spirit speaketh ex- 
pressly, that e in the latter 



c Col. 1.6. 
e Dan. 11. 35. 



d Luke 24.51. Acts 1.9. 
Matt. 24. 5-12. 2 Pet. 2.1. 



himself, and to the manner and 
matter of his teaching, that he 
might save himself and those who 
heard him. Ver. 16. 

1. Now the Spirit. Evidently the Holy 
Spirit ; the Spirit of inspiration. It 
is not quite certain, from this passage, 
whether the apostle means to say that 
this was a revelation then made to him, 
or whether it was a well-understood, 
thing as taught by the Holy Spirit. 
He himself elsewhere refers to this 
same prophecy, and John also more 
than once mentions it. Comp. 2 Thess. 
ii ; 1 John ii. 18 ; Rev. xx. From 2 
Thess. ii. 5, it would seem that this 
was a truth which had before been 
communicated to the apostle Paul, 
and that he had dwelt on it when he 
preached the Gospel in Thessalonica. 
There is no improbability, however, 
in the supposition that so important 
a subject was communicated directly 
by the Holy Ghost to others of the 
apostles. H Speaketh expressly. -In ex- 
press words — ptrTtos. It was not by 
mere hints, and symbols, and shadowy 
images of the future ; it was in an 
open and plain manner — in so many 
words. The object of this statement 
seems to be to call the attention of 
Timothy to it in an emphatic manner, 
and to show the importance of attend- 
ing to it. IT That in the latter times. 
Under the last dispensation, during 
which the affairs of the world will 
close. See Notes on Heb. i. 2. This 
does not mean that this would occur 
just before the end of the world, but 
that it would take place during that 
last dispensation, and that the end of 
the world would not happen until this 
should have occurred. See Notes on 
2 Thess. ii. 3. ^ Some shall depart from 
the faith. The Greek word here — diro- 
c-rrio-ovTai, apostesontai — is that from 
which we have derived the word apos- 
tatize, and would be properly so ren- 
dered here. The meaning is, that they 
would apostatize from the belief of the 
truths of the Gospel. It does not mean 
that, as individuals, they would have 
been true Christians, and then would 
have fallen away, but that there would 
be a departure from the great doc- 
G 2 



trines which constitute the Christian 
faith. The ways m which they would 
do this are immediately specified, 
showing what the apostle meant here 
by departing from the faith. They 
would give heed to seducing spirits, 
to the doctrines of devils, etc. The 
use of the word "some," here — tlve<s — 
does not imply that the number would 
be small. The meaning is, that certain 
persons would thus depart, or that 
there would be an apostasy of the kind 
here mentioned, in the last days. 
From the parallel passage in 2 Thess. 
ii. 3, it would seem that this was to be 
an extensive apostasy. H Giving heed 
to seducing spirits. Rather than to the 
Spirit of God. It would be a part of 
their system to yield to those spirits 
that led astray. The spirits here re- 
ferred to are any that cause to err, and 
the most obvious and natural con- 
struction is to refer it to the agency 
of fallen spirits. The language, indeed, 
may be applicable to false teachers, 
yet, if it is, it is applied to them as 
under the influence of evil spirits. 
This may refer, so far as the phrase- 
ology is concerned, to any talse teach- 
ing ; but it is evident that the apostle 
had a specific apostasy in view — some 
great system that would corrupt the 
Christian faith; and the words here 
should be interpreted with reference 
to that. It is true that men in all 
ages are prone to give heed to sedu- 
cing spirits ; but the thing referred to 
here is some grand apostasy, in which 
the characteristics would be manifest- 
ed, and the doctrines held, which the 
apostle proceeds immediately to spe- 
cify. Comp. 1 John iv. 1. *f And doc- 
trines of devils. Gr., u Teachings of 
demons" — Si8ao-Ka\Lai<s daiuwv'ntiv. 
This may either mean teachings re- 
specting demons, or teachings by de- 
mons. The particular sense must be 
determined by the connection. Am- 
biguity of this kind in the construc- 
tion of words, where one is in the geni- 
tive case, is not uncommon. Comp. 
John xv. 9, 10; xxi. 15. Instances of 
the construction where the genitive 
denotes the object, and should be trans- 
lated concerning, occur in Matt. ix. 35, 
"The Gospel of the kingdom," that 



154 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



is, concerning the kingdom ; Matt. x. 
1, " Power o/'unclean spirits," that is, 
over or concerning unclean spirits. 
So, also, Acts iv. 9 ; Rom. xvi. 15 ; 2 
Cor. i. 5 ; Eph. iii. 1 ; Rev. ii. 13. In- 
stances of construction where the 
genitive denotes the agent, occur in 
the following places: Luke i. 69, "A 
horn of salvation," that is, a horn 
which produces or causes salvation. 
John vi. 28; Rom. iii. 22; 2 Cor. iv. 10; 
Eph. iv. 18 ; Col. ii. 11. Whether the 
phrase here means that, in the aposta- 
sy, they would give heed to doctrines 
respecting demons, or to doctrines 
which demons taught, can not, it seems 
to me, be determined with certainty. 
If the previous phrase, however, 
means that they would embrace doc- 
trines taught by evil spirits, it can 
* hardly be supposed that the apostle 
would immediately repeat the same 
idea in another form; and then the 
sense would be, that one characteris- 
tic of the time referred to would be 
the prevalent teaching respecting de- 
mons. They would "give heed to," 
or embrace, some peculiar views re- 
specting demons. The word here ren- 
dered devils is Saifxovia — demons. This 
word, among the Greeks, denoted the 
following things: (1.) A god or god- 
dess, spoken of the heathen gods. 
Comp., in New Testament, Acts xvii. 
18. (2.) A divine being, where no par- 
ticular one was specified, the agent or 
author of good or evil fortune ; of 
death, fate, etc. In this sense it is 
often used in Homer. (3.) The souls 
of men of the golden age,which dwelt 
unobserved upon the earth to regard 
the actions of men, and to defend them 
— tutelary divinities, or geniuses, like 
that which Socrates regarded as his 
constant attendant. Xen. Mem., 4, 8, 
1,5. Apol. Soc., 4. See Passow. (4.) 
To this may be added the common 
use in the New Testament, where the 
word denotes a demon in the Jewish 
sense — a bad spirit, subject to Satan, 
and under his control ; one of the 
host of fallen angels — commonly, but 
not very properly, rendered devil, or 
devils. These spirits were supposed 
to wander in desolate places, Matt, 
xii. 43 ; Comp. Isa. xiii. 21 ; xxxiv. 14 ; 
or they dwell in the air, Eph. ii. 2. 
They were regarded as hostile to 
mankind, John viii. 44; as able to ut- 
ter heathen oracles, Acts xvi. 17; as 
dwelling in the idols of the heathen, 
1 Cor. x. 20 ; Rev. ix. 20. They are 



spoken of as the authors of evil, James 
ii. 19; Comp. Eph.vi. 12; and as having 
the power of taking possession of a per- 
son, of producing diseases, or of caus- 
ing mania, as in the case of the demo- 
niacs, Luke iv. 33 ; viii. 27 ; Matt, xvii, 
18 ; Mark vii. 29, 30 ; and often else- 
where. The doctrine, therefore, which 
the apostle predicted would prevail, 
might, so far as the word used is con- 
cerned, be either of the following : (1.) 
A compliance with the prevalent no- 
tions of the heathen respecting false 
gods ; or fi falling into idolatry simi- 
lar to that taught in the Grecian my- 
thology. It can hardly be supposed, 
however, that he designed to say that 
the common notions of the heathen 
would prevail in the Christian Church, 
or that the worship of the heathen 
gods as such would be set up there. 
(2.) A compliance with the Jewish 
views respecting demoniacal posses- 
sions, and the power of exorcising 
them. If this view should extensive- 
ly prevail in the Christian Church, it 
would be in accordance with the lan- 
guage of the prediction. (3.) A com- 
pliance with the prevalent heathen 
notions respecting the departed spir- 
its of the good and the great, who were 
exalted to the rank of demi-gods,and 
who, though invisible, were supposed 
still to exert an important influence 
in favor of mankind. To these beings 
the heathen rendered extraordinary 
homage. They supposed that they 
took a deep interest in human affairs". 
They invoked their aid in war, in com- 
merce, in trouble, and in danger. They 
set apart days in honor of them. They 
offered sacrifices, and performed rites 
and ceremonies to propitiate their fa- 
vor. They were regarded as a sort of 
mediators or intercessors between man 
and the superior divinities. If these 
things are found any where in the 
Christian Church, they may be re- 
garded as a fulfillment of this predic- 
tion, for they were not of a nature to 
be foreseen by any human sagacity. 
Now it so happens that they are, in 
fact, found in the Papal communion, 
and in a way that corresponds fairly 
to the meaning of the phrase, as it 
would have been understood in the 
time of the apostle. There is, first, 
the worship of the Virgin Mary and 
of the saints, or the extraordinary 
honors rendered to them — corre- 
sponding almost exactly with the 
reverence paid by the heathen to the 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



155 



times some shall depart from the 
faith, giving heed to seducing 
spirits, a and doctrines of devils; 

a Rev. 16. 14. 



2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; 
having their conscience seared 
with a hot iron ; 



spirits of heroes, or to demi-gods. 
The saints are supposed to have ex- 
traordinary power with God, and their 
aid is implored as intercessors. The 
Virgin Mary is invoked as "the Moth- 
er of God," and as having power still 
to command her Son. The Papists 
do not, indeed, offer the same homage 
to the saints which they do to God, 
but they ask their aid; they offer 
prayer to them. The following ex- 
tracts from the Catechism of Dr. James 
Butler, approved and recommended 
by Dr. Kenrick, " Bishop of Philadel- 
phia," expresses the general views 
of Roman Catholics on this subject : 
"Q. How do Catholics distinguish be- 
tween the honor they give to God, and 
the honor they give to the saints, 
when they pray to God and the saints? 
A. Of God alone they beg grace and 
mercy; and of the saints they only 
ask the assistance of their prayers. 
Q. Is it lawful to recommend our- 
selves to the saints, and ask their 
prayers ? A. Yes ; as it is lawful and 
a very pious practice to ask the pray- 
ers of our fellow-creatures on earth, 
and to pray for them." In the "Pray- 
er to be said before mass," the follow- 
ing language occurs : " In union with 
the holy Church and its minister, and 
invoking the blessed Virgin Mary, 
Mother of God, and all the angels and 
saints, we now offer the adorable sac- 
rifice of the mass," etc. In the "Gen- 
eral Confession," it is said, "I confess 
to Almighty God, to the blessed Mary, 
ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the 
archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, 
to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, 
and to all the saints, that I have sinned 
exceedingly." So, also, the Council 
of Trent declared, Sess. 25, Concerning 
the Invocation of the Saints, "that it is 
good and useful to supplicate them, 
and to fly to their prayers, power, and 
aid ; but that they who deny that the 
saints are to be invoked, or who as- 
sert that they do not pray for men, 
or that their invocation of them is 
idolatry, hold an impious opinion." 
See also Peter Dens' s Moral Theology, 
translated^by the Rev. J. F. Berg, p. 
342-356. Secondly, in the Papal com- 
munion the doctrine of exorcism is still 
held— implying a belief that evil spir- 



its or demons have power over the hu- 
man frame— a doctrine which comes 
fairly under the meaning of the phrase 
here — " the doctrine respecting demons." 
Thus, in Dr. Butler's Catechism: "Q. 
What do you mean by exorcism ? A. 
The rites and prayers instituted by the 
Church for the casting out devils, or 
restraining them from hurting per- 
sons, disquieting places, or abusing 
any of God's creatures to our harm. 
Q. Has Christ given his Church any 
such power over devils ? A. Yes, he 
has. See St. Matt. x. 1 ; St. Mark iii. 
15 ; St. Luke ix. 1. And that this pow- 
er was not to die with the apostles, 
nor to cease after the apostolic age, 
we learn from the perpetual practice 
of the Church, and the experience of 
all ages." The characteristic here re- 
ferred to by the apostle, therefore, is 
one that applies precisely to the Ro- 
man Catholic Church communion, and 
can not be applied with the same fit- 
ness to any other association calling 
itself Christian on earth. There can 
be no doubt, therefore, that the Holy 
Spirit designed to designate that apos- 
tate Church. 

2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy. 'Ev vtto- 
Kpia&L \p-tvoo\6ycov. Or rather, "by 
or through the hypocrisy of those 
speaking lies." So it is rendered by 
Whitby, Benson, Macknight, and oth- 
ers. Our translators have rendered it 
as if the word translated " speaking 
lies" — xl/EvSoXoycov — referred to de~ 
mo?is, or devils — SaL/uLovicou — in the pre- 
vious verse. But there are two ob- 
jections to this. One is, that then, 
as Koppe observes, the words would 
have been inverted — \lfEvdo\6ycov kv 
viroKpicrei. The other is, that if that 
construction is adopted, it must be car- 
ried through the sentence, and then 
all the phrases "speaking lies," "hav- 
ing their conscience seared," "forbid- 
ding to marry," etc., must be referred 
to demons. The preposition h, in, 
may denote by or through, and is often 
so used. If this be the true construc- 
tion, then it will mean that those who 
departed from the faith did it by or 
through the hypocritical teachings of 
those who spoke lies, or who knew 
that they were inculcating falsehoods ; 
of those whose conscience was seared ; 



156 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



of those who forbade to marry, etc. 
The meaning then will be, "In the last 
days certain persons will depart from 
the faith of the Gospel. This apostasy 
will essentially consist in their giving 
heed to spirits that lead to error, and 
in embracing corrupt and. erroneous 
views on demonology, or in reference 
to invisible beings between us and 
God. This they will do through the 
hypocritical teaching of those who in- 
culcate falsehood; whose consciences 
are seared," etc. The series of char- 
acteristics, therefore,which follow, are 
those of the teachers, not of the taught; 
of the ministers of the Church, not of 
the great body of the people. The 
apostle means to say that this grand 
apostasy will occur under the influ- 
ence of a hypocritical, hardened, and 
arbitrary ministry, teaching their own 
doctrines instead of the divine com- 
mands, and forbidding that which God 
has declared to be lawful. In the 
clause before us — "speaking lies in hy- 
pocrisy" — two things are implied,,/?}^, 
that the characteristic of those re- 
ferred to would be that they would 
"speak lies;" second, that this would 
be done hypocritically. In regard to 
the first, there can be no doubt among 
Protestants of its applicability to the 
Papal communion. The entire series 
of doctrines respecting the authority 
of the Pope, purgatory, the mass, the 
invocation of saints, the veneration of 
relics, the Seven Sacraments, the au- 
thority of tradition, the doctrine of 
merit, etc., is false. Indeed, the sys- 
tem could not be better characterized 
than by saying that it is a system 
" speaking lies." The only question 
is, whether this is done u in hypocri- 
sy," or hypocritically. In regard to 
this, it is not necessary to maintain 
that there is wo sincerity among the 
ministers of that communion, or that 
all are hypocritical in their belief and 
their teaching. The sense is, that this 
is the general characteristic, or that 
this is understood by the leaders or 
prime movers in that apostasy. In 
regard to the applicability of this to 
the ministers of the Papal communion, 
and the question whether they teach 
what they know to be false, we may 
observe (1.) that not a few of them are 
men of eminent learning, and there 
can be no reason to doubt that they 
know that many of the Catholic le- 
gends are false, and many of the doc- 
trines of their faith contrary to the 



Bible. (2.) Not a few* of the things 
which are practiced in that commun- 
ion must be known by them to be im- 
posture, though not known to be so 
! by the people. Such are all the pre- 
tended miracles wrought by the relics 
of the saints; the liquefying of the 
blood of St. Januarius, etc. See Notes 
on 2 Thess. ii. 9. As the working of 
these tricks depends wholly on the 
priesthood, they must know that they 
are "speaking lies in hypocrisy." (3.) 
The matter of the fact seems to be, 
that when young men who have been 
trained in the Catholic Church, first 
turn their attention to the ministry, 
they are sincere. They have not yet 
been made acquainted with the "mys- 
teries of iniquity" in the commun- 
ion in which they have been trained, 
and they do not suspect the deceptions 
that are practiced there. When they 
pass through their course of study, 
however, and become acquainted with 
the arts and devices on which the fab- 
ric rests, and with the scandalous lives 
of many of the clergy, they are shocked 
to find how corrupt and false the whole 
system is. But they are now commit- 
ted. They have devoted their lives to 
this profession. They are trained now 
to this system of imposture, and they 
must continue to practice and perpet- 
uate the fraud, or abandon the Church, 
and subject themselves to all the civ- 
il and ecclesiastical disabilities which 
would follow if they were to leave the 
Church and reveal all its frauds and 
impostures. A gentleman of high au- 
thority, and who has had as good an 
opportunity as any man living to make 
accurate and extensive observations, 
stated to me that this was a common 
thing in regard to the Catholic clergy 
in France and Italy. No one can rea- 
sonably doubt that the great body 
of that clergy must be apprized that 
much that is relied on for the support 
of the system is mere legend, and that 
the miracles which are pretended to be 
wrought are mere trick and impost- 
ure. T( Having their conscience seared 
with a hot iron. The allusion here "s 
doubtless to the effect of applying a 
hot iron to the skin. The cauterized 
part becomes rigid and hard, and is 
dead to sensibility. So with the con- 
science of those referred to. It has 
the same relation to a conscience that 
is sensitive and quick in itsdecisions, 
that a cauterized part of the body has 
to a thin, delicate, and sensitive skin. 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



157 



3 Forbidding to marry, and com- 
manding to abstain from meats, 



Such a conscience must exist in a mind 
that can practice delusion without 
concern ; that can carry on a vast sys- 
tem of fraud without wincing ; that 
can incarcerate, scourge, or burn the 
innocent without compassion; and 
that can practice gross enormities, and 
indulge in sensual gratifications under 
the mask of piety. While there are 
many eminent exceptions to an appli- 
cation of this to the Papal communion, 
yet this description will apply better 
to the Roman priesthood in the time 
of Luther— and in many other periods 
of the world— than to any other body 
of men that ever lived. 

3. Forbidding to marry. That is, 
"They will depart from the faith 
through the hypocritical teaching 
of those who forbid to marry." See 
Notes on ver. 2. This does not neces- 
sarily mean that they would prohibit 
marriage altogether, but that it would 
be a characteristic of their teaching 
that marriage would be forbidden, 
whether of one class of persons or 
many. They would commend and en- 
join celibacy and virginity. They 
would regard such a state, for certain 
persons, as more holy than the mar- 
ried condition, and would consider it 
as so holy that they would absolutely 
prohibit those who wished to be most 
holy from entering into the relation. 
It is needless to say how accurately 
this applies to the views of the Papacy 
in regard to the comparative purity 
and advantages of a state of celibacy, 
and to their absolute prohibition of 
the marriage of the clergy. The tenth 
article of the decree of the Council 
of Trent, in relation to marriage, will 
show the general view of the Papacy 
on that subject: "Whosoever shall 
say that the married state is to be pre- 
ferred to a state of virginity, or celib- 
acy, and that it is not better and more 
blessed to remain in virginity, or celib- 
acy, than to be joined in marriage, let 
him be accursed I" Comp. Peter Dens' s 
Moral Theology, p. 497-500. If And com- 
manding to abstain from meats, etc. 
The word meat in the Scriptures com- 
monly den o tesfood of all kinds. Matt, 
iii. 4 ; vi. 25 ; x. 10 ; xv. 37. This was 
the meaning of the word when the 
translation of the Bible was made. It 
is now used by us, almost exclusive- I 



which God hath created to be re- 
ceived a with thanksgiving of 

a Eccl.5.18. 

ly, to denote animal food. The word 
here used — (3pu)jtxa — means, properly, 
whatever is eaten, and may refer to 
animal flesh, fish, fruit, or vegetables. 
It is often, however, in the New Tes- 
tament employed particularly to de- 
note the flesh of animals. Heb. ix. 10 ; 
xiii. 9 ; Rom. xiv. 15, 20 ; 1 Cor. viii. 8, 
13. As it was animal food particularly 
which was forbidden under the Jewish 
code, and as the questions on this sub- 
ject among Christians would relate to 
the same kinds of prohibition, it is 
probable that the word has the same 
limited signification here, and should 
be taken as meaning the same thing 
that the word meat does with us. To 
forbid the use of certain meats, is here 
described as one of the characteris- 
tics of those who would instruct the 
Church in the time of the great apos- 
tasy. It is not necessary to suppose 
that there would be an entire prohibi- 
tion, but only a prohibition of certain 
kinds, and at certain seasons. That 
this characteristic is found in the Pa- 
pacy more than any where else in the 
Christian world, it is needless to prove. 
The following questions and answers 
from Dr. Butler's Catechism, will show 
what is the sentiment of Roman Cath- 
olics on this subject: U Q. Are there 
any other commandments besides 
the Ten Commandments of God ? A. 
There are the commandments or pre- 
cepts of the Church, which are chiefly 
six. Q. What are we obliged to do 
by the second commandment of the 
Church ? A. To give part of the year 
to fast and abstinence. Q. What do 
you mean by fast-days? A. Certain 
days on which we are allowed but one 
meal, and forbidden flesh meat. Q. What 
do you mean by days of abstinence ? 
A. Certain days on which we are for- 
bidden to eat flesh meat, but are allowed 
the usual number of m'eals. Q. Is it 
strictly forbidden by the Church to 
eat flesh meat on days of abstinence ? 
A. Yes ; and to eat flesh meat on any 
day on which it is forbidden, without 
necessity and leave of the Church, is 
very sinful." Could there be a more 
impressive and striking commentary 
on what the apostle says here, that "in 
thelatter days some would depart from 
the faith, under the hypocritical teach- 
ing of those who commanded to abstain 



158 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



them which believe and know the 
truth. 

4 For every creature of God is 

from meats P ' The authority claimed 
by the Papacy to issue commands on 
this subject, may be seen still further 
by the following extract from the same 
catechism, showing the gracious per- 
mission of the Church to the u faith- 
ful." "The abstinence on Saturday 
is dispensed with, for the faithful 
throughout the United States, for the 
space of ten years (from 1833), except 
when a fast falls on a Saturday. The 
use of flesh meat is allowed at present 
by dispensation, in the diocese of Phil- 
adelphia, on all the Sundays of Lent, 
except Palm Sunday, and once a day 
on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday in 
each week, except the Thursday after 
Ash Wednesday, and also excepting 
Holy- week." Such is the Roman Cath- 
olic religion! See also Peter Dens's 
Moral Theology, p. 321-339. It is true 
that what is said here might apply to 
the Essenes, as Koppe supposes, or to 
the Judaizing teachers, but it applies 
more appropriately and fully to the 
Papal communion than to any other 
body of men professing Christianity ; 
and taken in connection with the other 
characteristics of the apostasy, there 
can be no doubt that the reference is to 
that. \ Which God hath created. The 
articles of food which he has made, and 
which he has designed for the nour- 
ishment of man. The fact that God 
has created them is proof that they are 
not to be regarded as evil, and that it is 
not to be considered as a religious duty 
to abstain from them. All that God 
has made is good in its place, and what 
is adapted to be food for man is not to 
be refused or forbidden. Comp. Ec- 
cles. v. 18. There can be no doubt 
that in the apostasy here referred to 
those things would be forbidden not 
because they were injurious or hurtful 
in their nature, but because it might be 
made a part of a system of religion of 
self-righteousness, and because there 
might be connected with such a pro- 
hibition the belief of special merit. 

4. For every creature of God is good. 
Gr., all the creatures, or all that God has 
created — irav icTiafxa : that is, as he 
made it. Comp. Gen. i. 10, 12, 18, 31. 
It does not mean that every moral 
agent remains good as long as he is a 
creature of God, but moral agents, men 
and angels, were good as they were 



good, and nothing to be refused, 
if it be received with thanksgiv- 
ing: 

made at first. Gen. i. 31. Nor does 
it mean that all that God has made is 
good for every object to which it can be ap- 
plied. It is good in its place; good 
for the purpose for which he made it. 
But it should not be inferred that a 
thing which is poisonous in its nature 
is good for foM, because it is a creation 
of God. It is good only in its place, 
and for the ends for which he intend- 
ed it. Nor should it be inferred that 
what God has made is necessarily good 
after it has been perverted by man. As 
God made it originally, it might have 
been used without injury. Apples and 
peaches were made good, and are still 
useful and proper as articles of food ; 
rye and Indian-corn are good, and are 
admirably adapted to the support of 
man and beast; but it does not follow 
that all that man can make of them is 
necessarily good. He extracts from 
them a poisonous liquid, and then says 
that "every creature of God is good, 
and nothing to be refused." But is this 
a fair use of this passage of Scripture ? 
True, they are good — they are to be re- 
ceived with gratitude as he made them, 
and as applied to the uses for which 
he designed them ; but why apply this 
passage to prove that a deleterious 
beverage which man has extracted 
from what God has made is good also, 
and good for all the purposes to which 
it can be applied ? As God made these 
things, they are good. As man per- 
verts them, it is no longer proper to 
call them the " creation of God," and 
they may be injurious in the highest de- 
gree. This passage, therefore, should 
not be adduced to vindicate the use 
of intoxicating drinks. As employed 
by the apostle, it had no such refer- 
ence, nor does it contain any principle 
which can properly receive such an 
application. *[f And nothing to be re- 
fused. Nothing that God has made, 
for the purposes for which he designed 
it. The necessity of the case — the 
" exigenc}^ of the passage" — requires 
this interpretation. It can not mean 
that we are not to refuse poison if of- 
fered in our food, or that we are never 
to refuse food that is to us injurious 
or offensive; nor can it any more mean 
that we are to receive all that may be 
offered to us as a beverage. The sense 
is, that as God made it, and for the 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



159 



5 For it is sanctified by the word 
of God and prayer. 

6 If thou put the brethren in re- 
membrance of these things, thou 
shalt be a good minister of Jesus 
Christ, nourished up a in the words 



a Jer. 15. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 2. 



of faith and of good doctrine, 
whereunto thou hast attained. 

7 But refuse profane and old 
wives' fables, 6 and exercise thy- 
self rather unto godliness. 

8 For bodily exercise profiteth 



purposes for which he designed it, it 
is not to be held to be evil; or, which 
is the same thing, it is not to be pro- 
hibited as if there were merit in ab- 
staining from it. It is not to be re- 
garded as a religious duty to abstain 
from food which God has appointed 
for the support of man. % If it be re- 
ceived with thanksgiving. See Notes on 
1 Cor. x. 31. Comp. Eph. v. 20 ; Phil, 
iv. 6. 

5. For it is sanctified by the word of 
God. By the authority or permission 
of God. It would be profane or un- 
holy if he had forbidden it ; it is made 
holy or proper for our use by his per- 
mission, and no command of man can 
make it unholy or improper. Comp. 
Gen. i. 29 ; ix. 3. And prayer. If it 
is partaken of with prayer. By prayer 
we are enabled to receive it with grati- 
tude, and every thing that we eat or 
drink may thus be made a means of 
grace. Comp. 1 Cor. x. 31. 

6. If thou put the brethren in remem- 
brance of these things. Of the truths 
just stated. They are, therefore, prop- 
er subjects to preach upon. It is the 
duty of the ministry to show to the 
people of their charge what is error 
and where it may be apprehended, and 
to caution them to avoid it. Nourished 
up in the word of faith. That is, you 
will be then "a good minister of Jesus 
Christ, as becomes one who has been 
nourished up in the words of faith, 
or trained up in the doctrines of re- 
ligion." The apostle evidently de- 
signs to remind Timothy of the mau- 
ner in which he had been trained, and 
to show him how he might act in ac- 
cordance with that. From one who 
had been thus educated, it was rea- 
sonable to expect that he would be a 
faithful and exemplary minister of the 
Gospel. 1[ Whereunto thou hast attained. 
The word used here means, properly, 
to accompany side by side ; to follow 
closely ; to follow out, trace, or ex- 
amine. It is rendered shall follow in 
Matt. xvi. 17 ; having had understand- 
ing in Luke i. 3 ; and hast fully known 
in 2 Tim. hi. 10. It does not elsewhere 



occur in the New Testament. The 
meaning here seems to be, that Timo- 
thy had followed out to their legiti- 
mate results the doctrines in which 
he had been trained ; he had accurate- 
j ly seen and understood their bearing, 
as leading him to embrace the Chris- 
! tian religion. His early training in 
the Scriptures of the Old Testament 
(2 Tim. i. 5; iii. 15), he had now fully 
carried out, by embracing the Lord 
Jesus as the Messiah, and by evincing 
the proper results of the early teach- 
ing which he had received in connec- 
I tion with that religion. If he now 
J followed the directions of the apostle, 
he would be a minister of the Lord 
| Jesus worthy of the attainments in 
i religious knowledge which he had 
made, and of the expectations which 
had been formed of him. No young 
man should, by neglect, indolence, or 
folly, disappoint the reasonable ex- 
pectations of his friends. Their cher- 
ished hopes are a proper ground of 
appeal to him, and it may be properly 
demanded of every one that he shall 
carry out to their legitimate results 
all the principles of his early training, 
and that he shall be in his profession 
all that his early advantages make it 
reasonable to expect that he will be. 

7. But refuse. That is, refuse to pay 
attention to them, or reject them. Do 
not consider them of sufficient impor- 
tance to occupy your time. If Profane. 
The word here used does not mean 
that the fables here referred to were 
blasphemous or impious in their char- 
acter, but that they had not the char- 
acter of true religion. 2 Tim. ii. 16. 
\ And old wives\ Old women's stories; 
or such as old women held to be im- 
portant. The word is used here, as it 
is often with us, in the sense of silly. 
H Fables. Fictions, or stories that were 
not founded on fact. The heathen re- 
ligion abounded with fictions of this 
kind, and the Jewish teachers were 
also remarkable for the number of 
such fables which they had introduced 
into their system. It is probable that 
the apostle referred here particularly 



160 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



to the Jewish fables, and the counsel 
which he gives to Timothy is to have 
nothing to do with them. ^ And exer- 
cise thyself rather unto godliness. Rath- 
er than attempt to understand those 
fables. Do not occupy your time and 
attention with them, but rather culti- 
vate piety, and seek to become more 
holy. 

8. For bodily exercise profiteth little. 
Marg.,/or a little time. The Greek will 
admit of either interpretation, and 
what is here affirmed is true in either 
sense. The bodily exercise to which 
the apostle refers is of little advantage 
compared with that piety which he 
recommended Timothy to cultivate, 
and whatever advantage could be de- 
rived from it would be but of short 
duration. "Bodily exercise" here re- 
fers, doubtless, to the mortifications 
of the body by abstinence and penance 
which the ancient devotees, and par- 
ticularly the Essenes, made so impor- 
tant as a part of their religion. The 
apostle does not mean to say that 
bodily exercise is in itself improper, 
or that no advantage can be derived 
from it in the preservation of health, 
but he refers to it solely as a means 
of religion ; as supposed to promote 
holiness of heart and of life. By these 
bodily austerities it was believed that 
the corrupt passions would be sub- 
dued, the wanderings of an unholy 
fancy fettered down, and the soul 
brought into comformity to God. In 
opposition to this supposition, the 
apostle has here stated a great prin- 
ciple which experience has shown to 
be universally correct, that such aus- 
terities do little to promote holiness, 
but much to promote superstition. 
There must be a deeper work on the 
soul than any which can be accom- 
plished by the mere mortification of 
the body. See Notes on Col. ii. 23, 
and comp. 1 Cor. ix. 25-27. ^But God- 
liness. Piety or religion, ^ Is profita- 
ble unto all things. In every respect. 
There is not an interest of man, in 
reference to this life, or to the life to 
come, which it would not promote. 
It is favorable to health of body, by 
promoting temperance, industry, and 
frugality ; to clearness and vigor of 
intellect, by giving just views of truth, 
and of the relative value of objects ; 
to peace of conscience, by leading to 
the faithful performance of duty ; to 
prosperity in business, by making a 
man temperate, honest, prudent, and 



industrious; to a good name, by lead- 
ing a man to pursue such a course of 
life as will deserve it ; to comfort in 
trial, calmness in death, and immortal 
peace beyond the grave. Keligion in- 
jures no one. It does not destroy 
health ; it does not enfeeble the in- 
tellect ; it does not disturb the con- 
science; it does not pander to raging 
and consuming passions ; it does not 
diminish the honor of a good name ; 
it furnishes no subject of bitter reflec- 
tion on a bed of death. It makes no 
one poorer; it prompts to no crime; it 
engenders no disease. If a man should 
do that which would most certainly 
make him happy,he would be decided- 
ly and conscientiously religious ; and 
though piety promises no earthly pos- 
sessions directly as its reward, and se- 
cures no immunity from sickness, be- 
reavement, and death, yet there is 
nothing which so certainly secures a 
steady growth of prosperity in a com- 
munity as the virtues which it engen- 
ders and sustains, and there is nothing 
else that will certainly meet the ills 
to which man is subject. I have no 
doubt that it is the real conviction of 
every man that, if he ever becomes 
certainly happy, he will be a Christian ; 
and I presume that it is the honest 
belief of every one that the true and 
consistent Christian is the most happy 
of men. Andyet,with this conviction, 
men seek every thing else rather than 
religion ; and in the pursuit of baubles, 
which they know can not confer hap- 
piness, they defer religion — the only 
certain source of happiness — to the 
last period of life, or reject it altogeth- 
er, i Having promise of the life that novj 
is. That is, it furnishes the promise 
of whatever is really necessary for us 
in this life. The promises of the 
Scriptures on this subject are abun- 
dant, and there is probably not a ^#ant 
of our nature for which there might 
not be found a specific promise in the 
Bible. Comp. Psa. xxiii. 1; lxxxiv. 11; 
Phil. iv. 19. Religion promises us 
needful food and raiment, Matt. vi. 
25-33; Isa. xxxiii. 16; comfort in af- 
fliction, Deut. xxxiii. 27 ; Job v. 19 ; 
Psa. xlvi; Heb. xiii. 5; support in old 
age and death, Isa. xlvi. 4 ; Psa. xxiii. 
4 ; Comp. Isa.xliii. 2; and a good repu- 
tation and an honored name when we 
are dead. Psa. xxxvii. 1-6. There is 
nothing which man really needs in this 
life which is not promised by religion; 
and if the inquiry were made, it would 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



161 



1 little : but godliness a is profita- 
ble unto all things, haying prom- 
ise 6 of the life that now is, and of 
that which is to come. 



>r, for a little time. 



9 This is a faithful saying, and 
worthy of all acceptation. 

10 For therefore we both labour 
and suffer reproach, because we 



be surprising to many, even with our 
imperfect religion, how literally these 
promises are fulfilled. David, near the 
close of a long life, was able to bear 
this remarkable testimony on this sub- 
ject: U I have been young, and now 
am old; yet have I not seen the right- 
eous forsaken, nor his seed begging 
bread." Psa. xxxvii. 25. And now, of 
the beggars that come to our doors, 
to how few of them can we give a cup 
of cold water, feeling that we are giv- 
ing it to a disciple ! How rare is it 
that a true Christian becomes a beggar ! 
Of the inmates of our almshouses, how 
very few give any evidence that they 
have religion ! They have beenbrought 
there by vice, not by religion. True 
piety sends none to the almshouse ; 
it would have saved the great mass of 
those who are there from ever needing 
the charity of their fellow-men. ^A?id 
of that which is to come. Eternal life. 
And it is the only thing that promises 
such a life. Infidelity makes no prom- 
ise of future happiness. Its business 
is to take away all the comforts which 
religion gives, and to leave men to go 
to a dark eternity with no promise or 
hope of eternal joy. Vice promises 
pleasures in the present life, but only 
to disappoint its votaries here ; it 
makes no promise of happiness in the 
future world. There is nothing that 
furnishes any certain promise of hap- 
piness hereafter, in this world or the 
next, but religion. God makes no 
promise of such happiness to beauty, 
birth, or blood; to the possession of 
honors or wealth ; to great attainments 
in science and learning ; or to th e graces 
of external accomplishment. To none 
of these, whatever flattering hopes of 
happiness they may hold out here, is 
there a promise made that they will 
secure future eternal bliss. It is not 
by such things that God graduates the 
rewards of heaven, and it is only piety 
or true religion that furnishes any as- 
surance of happiness in the world to 
come. 

9. This is a faithful saying. See Notes 
on ch. i. 15. 

10. For therefore ice both labor and suf- 
fer reproach. In making this truth 
known, that all might be saved, or that 



salvation was offered to all. The la- 
bor was chiefly experienced in carry- 
ing this intelligence abroad among the 
Gentiles ; the reproach arose chiefly 
from the Jews for doing it. *[ Because 
ive trust in the living God. This does 
not mean, as our translation would, 
seem to apply, that he labored and suf- 
fered because he confided in God, or 
that this was the reason of his suffer- 
ings, but rather that this trust in the 
living God was his support in these la- 
bors and trials. "We labor and suf- 
fer reproach, for we have hope in God. 
Through him we look for salvation. 
We believe that he has made this 
known to men, and believing this, we 
labor earnestly to make it known, 
even though it be attended with re- 
proaches." The sentiment is, that 
the belief that God has revealed a plan 
of salvation for all men, and invites all 
men to be saved, will make his friends 
willing to labor to make this known, 
though it be attended with reproaches. 
Tf Who is the Saviour of all men. This 
must be understood as denoting that 
he is the Saviour of all men in some 
sense which differs from what is im- 
mediately affirmed — " specially of those 
that believe." There is something 
pertaining to them in regard to salva- 
tion which does not pertain to "all 
men." It can not mean that he brings 
ail men to heaven, especially those who 
believe — for this would be nonsense. 
And if he brings all men actually to 
heaven, how can it be especially true 
that he does this in regard to those 
who believe ? Does it mean that he 
saves others without believing? But 
this would be contrary to the uniform 
doctrine of the Scriptures. See Mark 
xvi. 16. When, therefore, it is said that 
he "is the Saviour of all men, specially 
of those who believe," it must mean 
that there is a sense in which it is true 
that he may be called the Saviour of 
all men, while, at the same time, it is 
actually true that those only are saved 
who believe. This may be true in two 
respects. (1.) As he is the Preserver 
of men (Job vii. 20), for in this sense 
he may be said to save them from fam- 
ine, and war, and peril — keeping them 
from day to day ; comp. Psa. cvii. 28; 



162 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



trust in the living God, who is the 
Saviour of all men, specially of 
those that believe. 

11 These things command and 
teach. 



(2.) as he has provided salvation for all 
men. He is thus their Saviour — and 
may be called the common Saviour of 
all ; that is, he has confined the offer 
of salvation to no one class of men ; 
he has not limited the atonement to 
one division of the human race ; and 
he actually saves all who are willing 
to be saved by him. If Specially of those 
that believe. This is evidently designed 
to limit the previous remark. If it 
had been left there, it might have been 
inferred that he would actually save all 
men. But the apostle held no such 
doctrine, and he here teaches that sal- 
vation is actually limited to those who 
believe. This is the specialty or the 
peculiarity in the salvation of those 
who actually reach heaven — that they 
are believers. See Notes on Mark xvi. 
16. All men, therefore, do not enter 
heaven, unless all men have faith. But 
is this so ? What evidence is there 
that the great mass of mankind die 
believing on the Son of God ? 

11. These things command and teach. 
As important doctrines, and as em- 
bracing the sum of the Christian sys- 
tem. It follows from this that a min- 
ister of the Gospel is solemnly bound 
to teach that there is a sense in which 
God is the Saviour of all men. He is 
just as much bound to teach this as 
he is that only those will be saved who 
believe. It is a glorious truth, and it 
is a thing for which a man should un- 
ceasingly give thanks to God, that he 
may go and proclaim that he has pro- 
vided salvation for all, and is willing 
that all should come and live. 

12. Let no man despise thy youth. That 
is, do not act in such a manner that 
any will despise you on account of 
your youth. Act as becomes a minis- 
ter of the Gospel in all things, and in 
such a way that men will respect you 
as such, though you are young. It is 
clear from this that Timothy was then 
a young man, but his exact age there 
is no means of determining. It is im- 
plied here, (1.) that there was danger 
that, by the levity and indiscretion to 
which youth are so much exposed, the 
ministry might be regarded with con- 



12 Let a no man despise thy 
youth ; but be thou an example 
of the believers, in word, in con- 
versation, in charity, in spirit, in 
faith, in purity. 

a Tim. 2. 1, 15. 

tempt ; and (2.) that it was possible 
that his deportment should be so 
grave, serious, and every way appro- 
priate, that the ministry would not be 
blamed but honored. The way in 
which Timothy was to live so that the 
ministry would not be despised on ac- 
count of his youth, the apostle pro- 
ceeds immediately to specify. % But 
be thou an example of the believers. One 
of the constant duties of a minister of 
the Gospel, no matter what his age. 
A minister should so live that if all 
his people should closely follow his 
example their salvation would be se- 
cure, and they would make the highest 
possible attainments in piety. On the 
meaning of the word rendered example y 
see Notes on Phil. iii. 17 ; 1 Thess. i. 7. 
*f[ In word. In speech — that is, in your 
manner of conversation. This does 
not refer to his public teaching — in' 
which he could not properly be an ex- 
ample to them — but to his usual and 
familiar conversation. In conversa- 
tion. In general deportment, See 
this word explained in the Notes on 
Phil. i. 27. ^ In charity. Love to the 
brethren, and to all. See Notes on 1 
Cor. xiii. ^ In spirit. In the govern- 
ment of your passions, and in a mild, 
meek, forgiving disposition. % In 
faith. At all times, and in all trials, 
show to believers by your example 
how they ought to maintain unshaken 
confidence in God. ^ In purity. In 
chasteness of life. See ch. v. 2. Let 
there be nothing in your intercourse 
with the other sex that will give rise 
to scandal. The Papists, with great 
impropriety, understand this as en- 
joining celibacy — as if there could be 
no purity in that holy relation which 
God appointed in Eden, and which he 
has declared to "be honorable in all" 
(Heb. xiii. 4), and which he has made 
so essential to the well-being of man- 
kind. If the apostle had wished to 
produce the highest possible degree 
of corruption in the Church, he would 
have enjoined the celibacy of the 
clergy, and the celibacy of an indefinite 
number of nuns and monks. There 
are no other institutions on the earth 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



163 



13 Till I come, give attendance 
to reading, to exhortation, to doc- 
trine. 

14 Neglect a not the gift that is 

a 2 Tim. 1. 6. 

which have done so much to corrupt 
the chastity of the race as those 
which have grown out of the doctrine 
that celibacy is more honorable than 
marriage. 

13. till Icome. See Notes on ch. iii. 
14, 15. Give attendance to reading. 
The word here used may refer either 
to public or to private reading. See 
Acts xiii. 15 ; 2 Cor. iii. 14. Comp. Esdr. 
ix. 48. The more obvious interpreta- 
tion here is to refer it to private read- 
ing, or to a careful perusal of those 
books which would qualify him for his 
public work. The then written por- 
tions of the sacred volume — the Old 
Testament— are doubtless specially 
intended here, but there is no reason 
to doubt that there were included also 
such other books as would be useful, 
to which Timothy might have access. 
Even those were then few in number, 
but Paul evidently meant that Tim- 
othy should, as far as practicable, be- 
come acquainted with them. He him- 
self, on more than one occasion, 
showed that he had some acquaint- 
ance with the classic writings of 
Greece. Acts xvii. 28 ; Titus i. 12. 
IF To exhortation. See Notes on Rom. 
xii. 8. Tf To doctrine. To teaching — for 
so the word means. Comp. Notes on 
Kom. xii. 7. 

14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee. 
An important question arises here, to 
what the word gift refers : whether 
to natural endowment, to office, or to 
some supposed virtue which had been 
conferred by ordination — some trans- 
mitted influence which made him holy 
as a minister of religion, and which 
was to continue to be transmitted by 
the imposition of apostolic hands. 
The word which is here used is ren- 
dered gift in every place in which it oc- 
curs in the New Testament. It is 
found in the following places, and with 
the following significations: deliver- 
ance from peril, 2 Cor. i. 11; a gift or 
quality of the mind, 1 Cor. vii. 7; gifts 
of Christian knowledge or consolation, 
Rom. i. 11; 1 Cor. i. 7; redemption or 
salvation through Christ, Rom. v. 15, 
16; vi. 23; xi. 29; the miraculous en- 
dowments conferred by the Holy 
Spirit, Rom. xii. 6 ; 1 Cor. xii. 4, 9, 28, 



in thee, which was given thee by 
prophecy, 6 with the laying on c of 
the hands of the presbytery. 
15 Meditate upon these things; 

5 c. 1.18. c Acts 13. 3. 

30, 31 ; and the special gift or endow- 
ment for the work of the ministry, 1 
Tim. iv. 14 ; 2 Tim. i. 6 ; 1 Pet. iv. 10. 
The gift then referred to here was that 
by which Timothy was qualified for 
the work of the ministry. It relates 
to his office and qualifications — to 
every thing that entered into his fitness 
for the work. It does not refer exclu- 
sively to any influence that came upon 
him in virtue of his ordination, or to 
any new grace that was infused into 
him by that act, making him either 
officially or personally more holy than 
other men or than he was before ; but 
it comprised the whole train of circum- 
stances by which he had been qualified 
for the sacred office and recognized 
as a minister of religion. All this was 
regarded as a gift, a benefit, a favor — 
XapLo-fxa, charisma — and he was not to 
neglect or disregard the responsibili- 
ties and advantages growing out of it. 
In regard to the manner in which this 
gift or favor was bestowed, the follow- 
ing things are specified: (1.) It r was 
the gift of God. 2 Tim. i. 6. He was 
to be recognized as its source ; and it 
was not therefore conferred merely by 
human hands. The call to the min- 
istry, the qualifications for the office, 
and the whole arrangement by which 
one is endowed for the work, are pri- 
marily to be traced to God as the 
source. (2.) It was given to Timothy 
in accordance with certain predictions 
which had existed in regard to him — 
the expectations of those who had ob- 
served his qualifications for such an 
office, and who had expressed the 
hope that he would one day be per- 
mitted to serve the Lord in it. (3. ) It 
was sanctioned by the laying on of the 
hands of the Presbytery. The call of 
God to the work thus recognized by 
the Church, and the approbation of the 
Presbytery expressed by setting him 
apart to the office, were to be regarded 
by Timothy as a part of the "gift" or 
benefit {charisma) which had been con- 
ferred on him, and which he was not 
to neglect. (4.) An additional circum- 
stance which might serve to impress 
the mind of Timothy with the value of 
this endowment, and the responsibil- 
ity of this office, was that Paul him- 



164 



I. TIMOTHY 



[A.D. 58. 



self had been concerned in his ordina- 
tion. 2 Tim. i. 6. He who was so 
much more aged (Philem. 9. Comp. 2 
Tim. iv. 6, 7) ; he who had been a fa- 
ther to him, who had adopted him, 
and who had treated him as a son, had 
been concerned in his ordination; and 
this fact imposed a higher obligation 
to perform aright the functions of the 
office. We are not to suppose, there- 
fore, that there was any mysterious in- 
fluence—any virus— conveyed by the 
act of ordination, or that that act im- 
parted any additional degree of holi- 
ness. The endowment for the minis- 
try; the previous anticipation and 
hopes of friends ; and the manner in 
which he had been inducted into the 
sacred office, were all to be regarded 
as a benefit or favor of a high order, and 
as a reason why the gift thus bestowed 
should not be neglected ; and the same 
things now should make a man who is 
in the ministry deeply feel the solemn 
obligations resting on him to culti- 
vate his powers in the highest degree, 
and to make the most of his talents. 
*\\ Which was given thee by prophecy. 
That is, the prophetic declarations and 
the hopes of pious friends in regard 
to your future usefulness, have been 
among the means by which you have 
been introduced to the ministry, and 
should be a reason why you should 
cultivate your powers, and perform 
faithfully the duties of your office. 
See Notes on ch. i. 18. If With the lay- 
ing on of the hands of the presbytery. It 
was common to lay on the hands in 
imparting a blessing, or in setting 
apart to any office. See Matt. xix. 15 ; 
Mark vi. 5 ; Luke iv. 40 ; xiii. 13 ; Lev. 
viii. 14; Num. xxvii. 23; Acts xxviii. 
8; vi. 6; viii. 17; xiii. 3. The refer- 
ence here is undoubtedly to the act by 
which Timothy was set apart to the 
office of the ministry. The word ren- 
dered presbytery — irpza^vripiov— oc- 
curs only in two other places in the 
New Testament — Luke xxii. 66, where 
it is rendered elders ; and Acts xxii. 5, 
where it is rendered " estate of the eld- 
ers?'' It properly means an assembly of 
aged men; council of elders. In Luke 
xxii. 66, and Acts xxii. 5, it refers to the 
Jewish sanhedrim. See Notes on Matt, 
v. 22. In the passage before us, it can 
not refer to that body — for they did not 
ordain men to the Christian ministry 
— but to some association, council, or 
body of el ders of the Christian Church. 
It is clear from the passage (1.) that 



there was more than one person en- 
gaged in this service and taking part 
in it when Timothy was ordained, and 
therefore it could not have been by a 
prelate or bishop alone. (2.) That the 
power conferred, whatever it was, was 
conferred by the whole body consti- 
tuting the Presbytery — since the apos- 
tle says that the "gift" was imparted, 
not in virtue of any particular power 
or eminence in any one individual, but 
by the " laying on of the hands of the 
presbytery?'' (3.) The statement here is 
just such a one as would be made now 
respecting a Presbyterian ordination ; 
it is not one which would be made of 
an Episcopal ordination. A Presby- 
terian would choose these very words in 
giving an account of an ordination to 
the work of the ministry; an Episco- 
palian would not. The former speaks 
of an ordination by a Presbytery; the 
latter of ordination by a Bishop. The 
former can use the account of the 
apostle Paul here as applicable to an 
ordination, without explanations, 
comments, new versions, or criti- 
cisms; the latter cannot. The passage, 
therefore, is full proof that, in one of 
the most important ordinations men- 
tioned in the New Testament, it was 
performed by an association of men, 
and not by a prelate, and, therefore, 
that this was the primitive mode of 
ordination. Indeed, there is not a 
single instance of ordination to an of- 
fice mentioned in the New Testament 
which was performed by one man alone. 
See this passage examined at greater 
length in my ''Inquiry into the Or- 
ganization and Government of the 
Apostolic Church," p. 208-221. 

15. Meditate upon these things. Upon 
the train of events by which you have 
been led into the ministry, and upon 
the responsibilities and duties of the 
office. Let your mind be deeply im- 
pressed with these things ; make them 
the subject of profound and serious 
thought. H Give thyself wholly to them. 
Gr., "Be in them" — a phrase similar 
to that of Horace — totus in illis. The 
meaning is plain. He was to devote 
his life wholly to this work. He was 
to have no other grand aim of living. 
His time, attention, talents, were to 
be absorbed in the proper duties of 
the work. He was not to make that 
subordinate and tributary to an}^ other 
purpose, nor was he to allow any oth- 
er object to interfere with the appro- 
priate duties of that office. He was 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



165 



give thyself wholly to them ; that 
thy profiting may appear 1 to all. 

16 Take heed a unto thyself, and 
unto the doctrine; continue in 

1 or, in all things. a Ezek. 44. 21. 

not to live for money, fame, or pleas- 
ure; not to devote his time to the pur- 
suits of literature or science for their 
own sakes ; not to seek the reputation 
of an elegant or profound scholar; not 
to aim to be distinguished merely as 
an accomplished gentleman, or as a 
skillful farmer, teacher, or author. 
Whatever was done in any of these de- 
partments was to be wholly consist- 
ent with the direction h tovtoi? IcrZri 
— "be in these things 1 '' — be absorbed in 
the appropriate duties of the ministe- 
rial office. It may be remarked here 
that no man will ever make much of 
himself, or accomplish much in any 
profession, who does not make this 
the rule of his life. He who has one 
great purpose of life to which he pa- 
tiently and steadily devotes himself, 
and to which he makes every thing 
else bend, will uniformly rise to re- 
spectability, if not to eminence. He 
who does not do this, can expect to ac- 
complish nothing. *j[ That thy profit- 
ing. r Gr., Thy going forward ; that is, 
thy advancement or progress. A min- 
ister of the Gospel ought to make 
steady improvement in all that per- 
tains to his office. No man ought to 
be satisfied with present attainments. 
If To all. Marg. , in all things. The mar- 
gin is the more correct rendering, but 
either of them makes good sense. It 
should be apparent to all persons who 
attend on the stated preaching of a 
minister of the Gospel, that he is mak- 
ing steady advances in knowledge, 
wisdom, and piety, and in all things 
that pertain to the proper perform- 
ance of the duties of his office. If a 
man really makes progress, it will be 
seen and appreciated by others ; if he 
does not, that also will be as well un- 
derstood by his hearers. 

16. Take heed unto thyself. This may 
be understood as relating to every 
thing of a personal nature that would 
qualify him for his work. It maybe 
applied to personal piety ; to health ; 
to manners ; to habits 'of living ; to 
temper; to the ruling purposes; to 
the intercourse with others. In rela- 
tion to personal religion, a minister 
should take heed (1.) that he has true 
piety, and (2.) that he is advancing in 



them : for in doing this thou shalt 
both save 5 thyself, and them that 
hear thee. 

b James 5. 20. 

the knowledge and love of God. In 
relation to morals, he should be up- 
right; to his intercourse with others, 
and his personal habits, he should be 
correct, consistent, and gentlemanly, 
so as to give needless offense to none. 
The person of a minister should be 
neat and cleanly; his manners such 
as will show the fair influence of re- 
ligion on his temper and deportment; 
his style of intercourse such as will be 
an example to the old and the young, 
and such as will not offend against the 
proper laws of courtesy and urbanity. 
There is no religion in being filthy; in 
uncouth manners ; in an inconvenient 
and strange form of apparel; in bad 
grammarian d in sloven habits — and 
to be a real gentleman should be as 
much a matter of conscience with a 
minister of the Gospel as to be a real 
Christian. Indeed, under the full and 
fair influence of the Gospel, the one 
always implies the other. Eeligion 
refines the manners — it does not cor- 
rupt them ; it makes one courteous, 
polite, and kind — it never produces 
boorish manners, or habits that give of- 
fense to the well-bred and the refined. 
^And unto the doctrine. The kind of 
teaching which you give, or to your 
public instructions. The meaning is, 
that he should hold and teach only 
the truth. He was to "take heed" 
to the whole business of public in- 
struction ; that is, both to the matter 
and the manner. The great object was 
to get as much truth as possible before 
the minds of his hearers, and in such 
a way as to produce the deepest im- 
pression on them. If Continue in them. 
That is, in these things which have been 
specified. He was ever to be found 
perseveringly engaged in the perform- 
ance of these duties. % For so doing 
thou shalt both save thyself. By holding 
of the truth, and by the faithful per- 
formance of your duties, you will se- 
cure the salvation of your soul. We 
are not to suppose that the apostle 
meant to teach that this would be the 
meritorious cause of his salvation, but 
that these faithful labors would be re- 
garded as evidence of piety, and would 
be accepted as such. It is equivalent 
to saying that an unfaithful minister 



166 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



of the Gospel can not be saved; that 
one who faithfully performs all the 
duties of that office with a right spirit 
will be. If And them that hear thee. That 
is, you will be the means of their sal- 
vation. It is not necessary to sup- 
pose that the apostle meant to teach 
that he would save all that heard him. 
The declaration is to be understood in 
a popular sense, and it is undoubtedly 
true that a faithful minister will be the 
means of saving many sinners. This 
assurance furnishes a ground of en- 
couragement for a minister of the Gos- 
pel. He may hope for success, and 
should look for success. He has the 
promise of God that if he is faithful he 
shall see the fruit of his labors, and 
this result of his work is a sufficient 
reward for all the toils, and sacrifices, 
and self-denials of the ministry. If a 
minister should be the means of sav- 
ing but one soul from the horrors of 
eternal suffering and eternal sinning, 
it would be worth the most self-deny- 
ing labors of the longest life. Yet 
v/hat minister of the Gospel is there, 
who is at all faithful to his trust, who 
is not made the honored instrument 
of the salvation of many more than 
one? Let not, then, the faithful preach- 
er be discouraged. A single soul res- 
cued from death will be a gem in his 
eternal crown brighter by far than ever 
sparkled on the brow of royalty. 

CHAPTER V. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter embraces the follow- 
ing subjects : 

(1.) The proper method of admoni- 
tion when others err — to wit, an aged 
man should be entreated as a father, 
younger men as brethren, the aged wo- 
men as mothers, and the younger with 
the pure feelings which one has for a 
sister. Vs. 1,2. 

(2.) Instructions respecting the 
proper treatment of widows. Ver. 3- 
.16. 

(a) Those who were true widows 
were to be regarded with honor 
and respect. 

(b) Who sustained his character. 
Ver. 4-7. Those who had evinced 
piety at home in taking charge of 
those who were dependent on 
them, and who were steady in their 
devotions. No one was to be re- 
ceived into this number who was 
not of the age of sixty ; who had 
been married to more than one 



man; and who had not given evi- 
dence in all the duties of domes- 
tic fidelity and charity that she 
was imbued with the spirit of re- 
ligion. Vs. 9, 10. 

(c) Those who were young were not 
to be admitted into this class. 
Ver. 11-15. The reasons given are, 
that they would marry again, or 
that they would be idle, and would 
be intermeddlers in the affairs of 
others. It was better, therefore, 
that they should marry, and have 
charge of a family of their own. 
Vs. 14, 15. 

(d) The duty of the individual mem- 
bers of the Church to sustain help- 
less and dependent widows, if they 
had such among their relations. 
Ver. 16. In these verses (3-16) it 
is evident that the apostle had his 
eye on a class of widows that sus- 
tained some such relation to other 
females as the elders did to the 
whole Church. They were aged 
women to whom was intrusted the 
superintendence of the females of 
the Church — probably because, 
from the custom then prevalent, 
men had much less liberty of ac- 
cess to the other sex, and much 
less freedom of intercourse was 
allowable, than now. 

(3.) The duty of supporting and hon- 
oring those who rule in the Church. 
Vs. 17, 18. 

(4.) The suitable guarding of the 
rights of the elders in the Church. No 
accusation was to be received, unless 
it was sustained by two or three wit- 
nesses. Ver. 19. 

(5.) No one who was guilty was to 
be spared. All who sinned were to 
be publicly rebuked. Ver. 20. 

(6.) A solemn charge is given to Tim- 
othy to keep these commandments. 
Ver. 21, 

(7.) The statement of his duty not 
to ordain any person rashly or hastily 
to the sacred office. Ver. 22 

(8. ) To guard his health. Ver. 23. 

(9.) A declaration respecting sin — 
that sometimes it is open beforehand, 
and sometimes it is concealed till it 
is revealed at the judgment, closes the 
chapter. Vs. 24, 25. 

The design of this closing statement 
seems to be, to show Timothy that he 
should not judge men by appearances, 
but that he should evince great cau- 
tion in forming his estimate of their 
character. 



A.D.58.] CHAPTER V. 



167 



CHAPTER Y. 

REBUKE not an elder, but en- 
treat Mm as a father; and 
the younger men as brethren ; 
2 The elder women as mothers; 



1. Rebuke not an elder. The word 
elder here is not used in the sense in 
which it often is, to denote an officer 
of the Church, a presbyter, but in its 
proper and usual sense, to denote an 
aged man. This is evident, because the 
apostle immediately mentions in con- 
tradistinction from the elder, u the 
younger men," where it can not be 
supposed that he refers to them as 
officers. The command to treat the 
" elder" as a " father," also shows the 
same thing. By the direction not to 
rebuke, it is not to be supposed that 
the minister of the Gospel is not to 
admonish the aged, or that he is not 
to show them their sins when they go 
astray, but that he is to do this as he 
would to a father. He is not to as- 
sume a harsh, dictatorial, and denun- 
ciatory manner. The precepts of re- 
ligion always respect the proprieties 
of life, and never allow us to trans- 
gress them, even when the object is 
to reclaim a soul from error, and to 
save one who is wandering. Besides, 
when this is the aim, it will always be 
most certainly accomplished by ob- 
serving the respect due to others on 
account of office, relation, rank, or 
age. ^ But entreat him as a father. 
As you would a father. That is, do not 
harshly denounce him. Endeavor to 
persuade him to lead a more holy life. 
One of the things for which the an- 
cients were remarkable above most of 
the moderns, and for whicl^the Orien- 
tals are still distinguished, was respect 
for age. Few things are enjoined with 
more explicitness and emphasis in the 
Bible than this. Lev. xix. 32 ; Job 
xxix ; Prov. xx. 20 ; xxx. 17. Comp. 
Dan. vii. 9, 10 ; Pvev. i. 14, 15. The apos- 
tle would have Timothy, and, for the 
same reason, every other minister of 
the Gospel, a model of this virtue. 
*\\ And the younger men as brethren. 
That is, treat them as you would your 
- own brothers. Do not consider them 
as aliens, strangers, or enemies, but 
entertain toward them, even when 
they go astray, the kind feelings of a 
brother. This refers more particular- 
ly to his private intercourse with them, 



the younger as sisters, with all 
purity. 

3 Honour w T idows that are wid- 
ows indeed. a 

4 But if any widow have chil- 

a Ver. 5. 16. 



and to his personal efforts to reclaim 
them when they had fallen into sin. 
When these efforts were ineffectual, 
and they sinned openly, he was "to re- 
buke them before all" (ver. 20), that 
others might be deterred from follow- 
ing their example. 

2. The elder women as mothers. Show- 
ing still the same respect for age, and 
for the proprieties of life. No son 
who has proper feelings will rebuke his 
own mother with severity. Let the 
minister of religion evince the same 
feelings if he is called to address a 
"mother in Israel" who has erred. 
IT The younger as sisters. With^the feel- 
ings which you have toward a sister. 
The tender love which one has for a 
beloved sister would always keep him 
from using harsh and severe language. 
The same mildness, gentleness, and af- 
fection should be used toward a sister 
in the Church. % With all purity. 
Nothing could be more characteristic 
of Paul's manner than this injunction; 
nothing could show a deeper acquaint- 
ance with human nature. He knew 
the danger which would beset a youth- 
ful minister of the Gospel when it was 
his duty to admonish and entreat a 
youthful female; he knew, too, the 
scandal to which he might be exposed 
if, in the performance of the necessary 
duties of his office, there should be the 
slightest departure from purity and 
propriety. He was therefore to guard 
his heart with more than common vigi- 
lance in such circumstances, and was 
to indulge in no word, or look, or ac- 
tion, which could by any possibility be 
construed as manifesting an improper 
state of feeling. On nothing else do 
the fair character and usefulness of a 
youthful minister more depend than 
on the observance of this precept. No- 
where else does he more need the grace 
of the Lord Jesus, and the exercise of 
prudence, and the manifestation of in- 
corruptible purity, than in the per- 
formance of this duty. A youthful 
minister who fails here can never re- 
cover the perfect purity of an unsul- 
lied reputation, and never in subse- 
quent life be wholly free from sus- 



168 



I. TIMOTHY. [A.D. 58. 



dren or nephews, let them learn 
first to show 1 piety at home, and 
to requite their parents : for that 

1 or, kindness. 

pieion. Compare Notes on Matt. v. 
28. 

3. Honor widows. The particular at- 
tention and respect which are enjoin- 
ed here seem to refer to the class of 
widows who were supported by the 
Church, and who were intrusted with 
the performance of certain duties 
toward the other female members. See 
ver. 9. It is to be remembered that the 
intercourse of the sexes is much more 
circumscribed in Oriental countries 
than it is among us; that access to the 
female members of the Church would 
be much less free than it is now, and 
that consequently there might have 
been a special propriety in intrusting 
the duty of watching over the younger 
among tjiem to the more aged. This 
duty would be naturally intrusted to 
those who had not the care of families. 
It would also be natural to commit it, 
if they were qualified, to those who 
had not the means of support, and 
who, while they were maintained by 
the Church, might be rendering a val- 
uable service to it. It would seem, 
therefore, that there was a class of this 
description, who were intrusted with 
these duties, and in regard to whose 
qualifications it was proper that Tim- 
othy should be instructed. The change 
of customs in society has made this 
class less necessary, and probably the 
arrangement was never designed to be 
permanent, but still it may be a ques- 
tion whether such an arrangement 
would not now be wise and useful in 
the Church. On this subject, see Notes 
on Rom. xvi. 1. *ft That are widows in- 
deed. Who are truly widows. We asso- 
ciate with the word widow, commonly, 
not only the idea of the loss of a hus- 
band, but many other things that are 
the usual accompaniments of widow- 
hood — a poor and dependent condi- 
tion ; care and solitude ; sadness and 
sorrow. This idea is implied in the use 
of the word employed here — x i \P a ~~ 
which means properly one who is be- 
reaved (from the adjective x 7 ' ? i° 09 > oe ~ 
reaved), and which, as Calvin says, con- 
veys the idea of one in distressed cir- 
cumstances. W T hat Paul regarded as 
constituting true widowhood, he spec- 
ifies in verses 4, 5, 9, 10. He connects 
with it the idea that she had no per- 



is good and acceptable before 
God. 

5 Now she that is a widow in- 



sons dependent on her; that she was 
desolate, and evinced true trust in 
God; that she was so aged that she 
would not marry again ; and that by 
her life she had given evidence of pos- 
sessing a heart of true benevolence. 
Ver. 10. 

4. But if any widow have children. 
Who would be dependent on her care, 
and who might themselves contribute 
to her support. % Or nephews. The 
word nephew now commonly means 
the son of a brother or sister. For- 
merly the English word also meant 
grandchildren, or descendants of any 
description. — Webster. The Greek 
word here — 'inyova — has the latter 
meaning. It denotes those sprung 
from or born of; and then descendants 
of any kind — sons, daughters, grand- 
children. The Greek word would not, 
in fact, properly include nephews and 
nieces. It embraces only those in a di- 
rect line. H Let them learn first to show 
piety at home. Marg., "or, kindness." 
That is, let the children and grandchil- 
dren learn to do this. Let them have 
an opportunity of performing their 
duty toward their aged parent or 
grandparent. Do not receive such a 
widow among the poor and dependent 
females of the Church, to be maintain- 
ed at public expense, but let her chil- 
dren support her. Thus they will have 
an opportunity of evincing Christian 
kindness, and of requiting her for her 
care. This the apostl e calls ' ' showing 
piety" — Evo-E(3elu — that is, filial piety: 
piety toward a parent by providing 
for the wa^ts of that parent in ad- 
vanced age. The word is commonly 
used to denote piety toward God, but 
it is also used to denote proper rever- 
ence and respect for a parent. — Robin- 
son. IF And to requite their parents. To 
repay them, as far as possible, for all 
their kindness. This debt can never be 
wholly repaid, but still a child should 
feel it a matter of sacred obligation to 
do as much toward it as possible. 
1" For that is good and acceptable before 
God. It is a duty every where en- 
joined. Comp. Notes on Matt. xv. 5 
-7; Eph. vi. 1, 2. 

5. Now she that is a widow indeed and 
desolate. The word rendered desolate 
means solitary, alone. It does not nec- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



169 



deed, and desolate, trust eth in 
God, and continueth in supplica- 
tions and prayers night and day. 

6 But she that liveth 1 in pleasure 
is dead a while she liveth. 



1 or, delicately. 



7 And these things give in charge, 
that they may be blameless. 

8 But if any provide not for his 
own, and specially b for those of 
his own house, 2 he hath denied 



essarily imply the idea of discomfort 
which we attach to the word desolate. 
The sense is, that she had no children 
or other descendants; none on whom 
she could depend for support. ^Trust- 
eth in God. She has no one else to look 
to but God. She has no earthly reli- 
ance, and, destitute of husband, chil- 
dren, and property, she feels her de- 
pendence, and steadily looks to God 
for consolation and support. If And 
continueth in supplications and prayers 
night and day. Continually. Comp. 
Notes on ch. ii. 1. See also the descrip- 
tion of Anna in Luke ii. 36, 37. The 
apostle regards this as one of the char- 
acteristics of those who were "wid- 
ows indeed," who were to be received 
into the class to be maintained by the 
Church, and to whom the charge of 
younger members of the Church 
might be intrusted. 

6. But she that liveth in pleasure. 
Marg., delicately. The Greek word 
(o7raTa\aco) occurs nowhere else in 
the New Testament, except in James 
v. 5: "Ye have lived in pleasure on the 
earth." It properly means to live in 
luxury, voluptuously; to indulge free- 
ly in eating and drinking; to yield to 
the indulgence of the appetites. It 
does not indicate grossly criminal 
pleasures; but the kind of pleasure 
connected with luxurious living, and 
with pampering the appetites. It is 
probable that in the time of the apos- 
tle there were professedly Christian 
widows who lived in this manner — as 
there are such professing Christians 
of all kinds in every age of the world. 
H Is dead while she liveth. To all the 
proper purposes of life she is as if she 
were dead. There is great emphasis 
in this expression, and nothing could 
convey more forcibly the idea that 
true happiness is not to be found in 
the pleasures of sense. There is noth- 
ing in such pleasures that answers the 
purposes of life. Their gratification 
is not the object for which life was 
given, and as to the great and proper 
designs of existence, such persons 
might as well be dead. 

7. And these things give in charge. 

H 



Announce, or declare these things, to 
wit, particularly respecting the' duty 
of children to their widowed mothers, 
and the proper duty of those who are 
widows. 

8. But if any provide not for his own. 
The apostle is speaking (ver. 4) par- 
ticularly of the duty of children to- 
ward a widowed mother. In enfor- 
cing that duty, he gives the subject, as 
he often does in similar cases, a general 
direction, and says that all ought to 
provide for those who are dependent 
on them, and that if they do not do 
this, they have a less impressive sense 
of the obligations of duty than even 
the heathen have. On the duty here 
referred to, comp. Notes on Rom. xii. 
17; 2 Cor. viii. 21. The meaning is, 
that the person referred to is to think 
beforehand (ttpovoeT) of the probable 
wants of his own family, and make ar- 
rangements to meet them. God thus 
provides for our wants ; that is, he sees 
beforehand what we shall need, and 
makes arrangements for those wants 
by long preparation. The food that 
we eat, and the raiment that we wear, 
he foresaw we should need, and the ar- 
rangement for the supply was made 
years or ages since ; and to meet these 
wants he has been carrying forward the 
plans of his providence in the seasons ; 
in the growth of animals ; in the for- 
mation of fruit; in the bountiful har- 
vest. So, according to our measure, ice 
are to anticipate what will be the prob-. 
able wants of our families, and to make 
arrangements to meet them. The 
words u his own" refer to those who are 
naturally dependent on him, whether 
living in his own immediate family or 
not. There may be many distant rel- 
atives naturally dependent on our aid, 
besides those who live in our own 
house. ^And specially for those of his 
own house. Marg., kindred. The word 
house, or household, better expresses 
the sense than the word kindred. The 
meaning is, those who live in his own 
family. They would naturally have 
higher claims on him than those who 
did not. They would commonly be 
his nearer relatives, and the fact, from 



170 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



the faith, and is worse than an in- 
fidel. 

9 Let not a widow be 1 taken into 

1 or, chosen. 

whatever cause, that they constituted 
his own household, would lay the 
foundation for a strong claim upon 
him. He who neglected his own im- 
mediate family would be more guilty 
than he who neglected a more remote 
relative. ^[ He hath denied the faith. 
By his conduct, perhaps not openly. 
He may be still a professor of religion 
and do this ; but he will show that he 
is imbued with none of the spirit of 
religion, and is a stranger to its real nat- 
ure. The meaning is, that he would, 
by such an act, have practically re- 
nounced Christianity, since it enjoins 
this duty on all. We may hence learn 
that it is possible to deny the faith by 
conduct as well as by words ; and that 
a neglect of doing our duty is as real a 
denial of Christianity as it would be 
openly to renounce it. Peter denied 
his Lord in one way, and thousands do 
the same thing in another. He did it 
in words ; they by neglecting their 
duty to their families, or their duty in 
their closets, or their duty in attempt- 
ing to send salvation to their fellow- 
men, or by an openly irreligious life. 
. A neglect of any duty is so far a denial 
of the faith. ^And is ivorse than an in- 
fidel. The word here does not mean 
an infidel, technically so called, or one 
who openly professes to disbelieve 
Christianity, but any one who does 
not believe ;' that is, any one who is not 
a sincere Christian. The word, there- 
fore, would include the heathen, and 
it is to them, doubtless, that the apos- 
tle particularly refers. They acknowl- 
edged the obligation to provide for 
their relatives. This was one of the 
great laws of nature written on their 
hearts, and a law which they felt bound 
to obey. Few things were inculcated 
more constantly by heathen moralists 
than this duty. Galgacus, in Tacitus, 
says, "Nature dictates that to every 
one, his own children and relatives 
should be most dear." Cicero says, 
"Every man should take care of his 
own family" — suos quisque debet tu- 
eri. See Rosenmiiller, in loc, and also 
numerous examples of the same kind 
quoted from Apuleius, Cicero, Plu- 
tarch, Homer, Terence, Virgil, and 
Servius, in JPricceus, in loc. The doc- 
trine, here is, (1.) that a Christian 



the number under threescore years 
old, having been the wife of one 
man, 



ought not to be inferior to an unbe- 
liever in respect to any virtue; (2.) 
that in all that constitutes true virtue 
he ought to surpass him ; (3.) that the 
duties which are taught by nature 
ought to be regarded as the more sa- 
cred and obligatory from the fact that 
God has given us a better religion; 
and (4.) that a Christian ought never 
to give occasion to an enemy of the 
Gospel to point to a man of the world 
and say, "there is one who surpasses 
you in any virtue." 

9. Let not a widow be taken into the 
number. Marg., chosen. The margin 
expresses the sense of the Greek more 
accurately, but the meaning is not ma- 
terially different. Paul does not here 
specify into what " number" the wid- 
ow is to be " taken," or for what pur- 
pose she is to be " chosen," but he 
speaks of this as a thing that was well 
understood. There can be no doubt, 
however, what he means. In the Acts 
of the Apostles (ch. vi. 1) we have this 
account: "And in those days, when 
the number of the disciples was mul- 
tiplied, there arose a murmuring of the 
Grecians against the Hebrews, because 
their widows were neglected in the daily 
ministration. " " It'appears that from 
the first formation of the Christian 
Church, provision was made out of the 
public funds of the society for the in- 
digent widows who . belonged to it." 
See Paley's Horce JPaulince, on 1 Tim., 
No. 11. To this, as to a well-known 
practice, Paul here evidently refers. 
The manner in which he refers to it is 
such as to show that the custom had 
an existence. All that was necessary 
in the case was not to speak of it as 
if it were a new arrangement, but to 
mention those who ought to be re- 
garded as proper subjects of the char- 
ity. It would seem, also, that it was 
understood that such widows, accord- 
ing to their ability, should exercise a 
proper watch over the younger fe- 
males of the Church. In this way, 
while they were supported by the 
Church, they might render themselves 
useful. If Under threescore years old. 
For such reasons as those mentioned 
in ver. 11-14. ^Having been the wife 
of one man. There has been much di- 
versity of opinion whether this means 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



171 



10 Well reported of for good 
works; if she have brought up 
children, if she have lodged a stran- 
gers, if she have washed the saints' 



feet, if she have relieved the afflict- 
ed, if she have diligently followed 
every good work. 
11 But the younger widows re- 



a Acts 16. 15. 



that she had never had but one hus- 
band, or whether she had been the 
wife of but one man at a time ; that is, 
whether she had cast off one and mar- 
ried another. See Whitby, inloc. The 
same difficulty has been felt in regard 
to this as on the passage in ch. iii. 2. 
See Notes on that verse. Doddridge, 
Clarke, and others, suppose that it 
means, "who had lived in conjugal 
fidelity to her husband." The reason 
assigned for this opinion by Dod- 
dridge is that the apostle did not 
mean to condemn second marriages, 
since he expressly (ver. 14) commends 
it in the younger widows. The cor- 
rect interpretation probably is to re- 
fer it to one who had been married but 
once, and who, after her husband had 
died, had remained a widow. The rea- 
sons for this opinion briefly are — (1.) 
That this is the interpretation most 
naturally suggested by the phrase ; (2.) 
that it agrees bettef. with the descrip- 
tion of the one that was to be enrolled 
among the "number" — those -who 
were "widows indeed" — as we should 
more naturally apply this term to one 
who had remained unmarried after 
the death of her husband, than to one 
wiio had been married again ; (3. ) that, 
while it was not unlawful or improp- 
er in itself for a widow to marry a sec- 
ond time, there was a degree of re- 
spect and honor attached to one who 
did not do it, which would not be felt 
for one who did. Comp. Luke ii. 36, 
37: "She was a widow of great age, 
and had lived with a husband seven 
years from her virginity ; and she was 
a icidow of about fourscore and four 
years." The same is true now. There 
is a higher degree of respect felt for 
such a widow than there is for one 
who has been married again, though 
she may be again a widow. (4.) 
Among the heathen, it was regarded 
as especially honorable to have been 
married to but one man, and such wid- 
ows wore the Pudicitiw Coronam, or 
crown of chastity. Val. Max., 1. i., c. 
2. Comp. Livy,l.x.,c. 23. See Whit- 
by. (5.) As these persons were not 
only to be maintained by the Church, 
but appear also to have been intrust- 
ed with an office of guardianship over 



the younger females, it was of impor- 
tance that they should have such a 
character that no occasion of offense 
should be given, even among the hea- 
then; and, in order to that, Paul gave 
direction that only those should be 
thus enrolled who were in all respects 
widows, and who would be regarded, 
on account of their age and their whole 
deportment, as "widows indeed." I 
can not doubt, therefore, that he 
meant to exclude those from the num- 
ber here referred to who had been 
married the second time. 

10. Well reported of for good works. 
Of good character or reputation. See 
Notes on ch. iii. 7. If If she have brought 
up children. Either her own or others. 
The idea is, if she has done this in a 
proper manner. H If she have lodged 
strangers. If she has been character- 
ized by hospitality — a virtue greatly 
commended in the Scriptures. Comp. 
Notes on ch. iii. 2. H If she have wash- 
ed the saints' feet. It is not certain 
whether this is to be understood liter- 
ally, or whether it merely denotes that 
she had performed offices of a humble 
and self-denying kind — such as would 
be shown by washing the feet of others. 
It was one of the rites of hospitality 
in the East to wash the feet of the 
guest (Gen. xviii. 4), and Paul might 
have spoken of this as having been 
literally performed. There is not the 
slightest evidence that he refers to it 
as a religious rite or ordinance, any more 
than that he refers to the act of bring- 
ing up children as a religious rite. 
Comp. Notes on John xiii. 1-10. \ If 
she have relieved the afflicted. If it has 
been her character that she was ready 
to furnish relief to those who were in 
distress. H If she have diligently fol- 
lowed'every good icork. This is one of 
the characteristics of true piety. A 
sincere Christian will, like God, be the 
friend of all that is good, and will be 
ready to promote every good object 
according to his ability. He will not 
merely be the patron of one good 
cause, to the neglect of others, but he 
will endeavor to promote every good 
object ; and though from peculiar cir- 
cumstances, and peculiar dealings of 
Providence, he may have Xxzen partictc- 



172 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



fuse: for when they have begun 
to wax wanton against Christ, they 
will marry ; 

larly interested in some one object of 
charity, yet every good object will find 
a response in his heart, and he will be 
ready to promote it by his influence, 
his property, and his prayers. 

11. But the younger widows refuse. 
That is, in respect to the matter under 
discussion. Do not admit them into 
the class of widows referred to. This 
can not mean that he was to reject 
them as members of the Church, or 
not to treat them with respect and 
kindness. For when they have begun 
to wax wanton against Christ. There is 
probably a thought conveyed by these 
words to most minds which is by no 
means in the original, and which does 
injustice both to the apostle and to 
the "younger widows" referred to. 
In the Greek there is no idea of wan- 
tonness in the sense of lasciviousness 
or lewdness ; nor was this, though 
now a common idea attached to the 
word, by any means essential to it 
when our translation was made. The 
word wanton properly meant wander- 
ing or roving in gayety or sport, moving 
or flying loosely, playing in the ivind ; 
then it came to mean wandering from 
moral rectitude, licentious, dissolute, 
libidinous. — Webster. The Greek word 
here used, Kai-aarp^vLd^cx) — katastreni- 
azo — occurs nowhere else in the New 
Testament. The word GTpY}viaw — 
streniao — however, is used twice, and 
is in both cases translated lived deli- 
ciously. Rev. xviii. 7, 9. The word is 
derived f r o m aTpijvos — strenos — 
(whence strenuous), properly meaning 
rudeness, insolence, pride, and hence, 
revel, riot, luxury ; or from <ri-piivrj<s — 
strenes, the adjective — strong, stiff, 
hard, rough. The verb then means "to 
live strenuously, rudely," as in English, 
"to live hard;" also, to live wild, or 
without restraint ; to run riot, to live 
luxuriously. The idea of strength is 
the essential one, and then of strength 
that is not subordinate to law; that 
is wild and riotous. See Passow and 
Robinson, Lex. The sense here is, that 
they would not be subject to the re- 
straints implied in that situation; 
they would become impatient, and 
would marry again. The idea is not 
that of wantonness or lewdness, but 
it is that of a mind not subdued by 
age and by trials, that would be im- 



12 Having damnation, because 
they have cast off their first faith. 

13 And withal they learn to oe 

patient under the necessary restraints 
of the condition which was contem- 
plated. They could not be depended 
on with certainty, but they might be 
expected again to enter into the mar- 
ried relation. They will marry. It 
is clear, from this, that the apostle did 
not contemplate any vows which 
would prevent their marrying again ; 
nor does he say that it would be abso- 
lutely wrong for them to marry, even 
if they were admitted into that rank ; 
nor does he speak as if there were any 
vows to restrain them from doing it. 
This passage, therefore, can never be 
adduced in favor of the practice of 
taking the veil in nunneries, and of a 
vow of perpetual seclusion from the 
world. 

12. Having damnation. Or, rather, 
having condemnation; incurring guilt. 
This does not mean of necessity that 
they would lose their souls. See the 
phrase explained in the Notes on 1 Cor. 
xi. 29. The meaning is, that they 
would contract guilt, if they had been 
admitted among this class of persons, 
and then married again. The apostle 
does not say that it would be wrong 
in itself (comp. Notes on ver. 14), or 
that they would be absolutely prohibit- 
ed from it, but that injury would be 
done if they were admitted among 
those who were "widows indeed" — 
who were supported by the Church, 
and who were intrusted with a certain 
degree of care over the more youth- 
ful females — and should then leave 
that situation. It might give occa- 
sion for scandal; it might break in 
upon the arrangements; it might 
show that there was a relaxing of the 
faith, and of the deadness to the world, 
which they were supposed to have^ 
and it was better that they should be 
married (ver. 14) without having been 
thus admitted. T[ Because they have cast 
off their first faith. This does not 
mean that they would lose all their re- 
ligion, or wholly fall away, but that 
this would show that they had not the 
strong faith, the deadness to the 
world, the simple dependence on God 
(ver. 5), and the desire which they had 
to be weaned from worldly cares and 
influences, which they once had. 
When they became widows, all their 
earthly hopes seemed to be blasted. 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



173 



idle, wandering about from house 
to house ; and a not only idle, but 
tattlers also, and busy-bodies, 
speaking things which they ought 
not. 

a 2 Thess. 3. 11. 



They were then dead to the world, 
and felt that their sole dependence 
was on God. But if, under the influ- 
ence of these strong emotions, they 
were admitted to the "class of wid- 
ows" in the Church, there was no cer- 
tainty that they would continue in 
this state of mind. Time would do 
much to modify their grief. There 
would be a reviving love of the world, 
and they would be disposed to enter 
again into the marriage relation, and 
thus show that they had not the strong 
and simple faith which they had when 
the blow which made them widows 
fell heavily upon them. 

13. And withal. In addition to the 
prospect that they may marry again, 
there are other -disadvantages which 
may follow from such an arrangement, 
and other evils to be feared, which it 
is desirable to avoid. If They learn to 
be idle. That is, if supported by the 
Church, and if without the settled 
principles which might be expected in 
those who are more aged and experi- 
enced, it may be feared that they will 
give themselves up to an indolent life. 
There would be a security in the so- 
berness and the established habits of 
those more advanced in life, w T hieh 
there could not be in their case. The 
apostle does not mean that widows 
are naturally disposed to be idle, but 
that in the situation referred to there 
would be danger of it. *[[ Wandering 
about from house to house. A natural 
consequence of supposing that they 
had nothing to do, and a practice not 
only profitless, but always attended 
with mischief. Ti Tattlers also. Liter- 
ally, overflowing ; then overflowing 
with talk; praters, trifiers. They 
would learn all the news ; become ac- 
quainted with the secrets of families, 
and of course indulge in much idle 
and improper conversation. Our 
word gossipers would accurately ex- 
press the meaning here. The noun 
does not occur elsewhere in the New 
Testament. The verb occurs in John 
iii. 10; rendered, prating against. 
H And busy-bodies. See Notes on 2 
Thess. iii. 11. The word means, prob- 



14 I will therefore that the 
younger women marry, bear chil- 
dren, guide the house, give none 
occasion to the adversary 1 to 
speak reproachfully. 

1 for their railing. 



ably, working all round, over-doing, and 
then an intermeddler. Persons who 
have nothing of their own to do com- 
monly find employment by interest- 
ing themselves in the affairs of their 
neighbors. No one likes to be whol- 
ly idle, and if any one is not found do- 
ing what he ought to do, he will usu- 
ally be found engaged in doing what 
he ought not. 1 Speaking things which 
they ought not. Revealing the concerns 
of their neighbors ; disclosing secrets ; 
magnifying trifles, so as to exalt them- 
selves into importance, as if they were 
intrusted with the plans of others ; in- 
venting stories and tales of gossip, that 
they may magnify and maintain their 
own consequence in the community. 
No persons are commonly more dan- 
gerous to the peace of a neighborhood 
than those who have nothing to do. 

14. I will therefore. I give it as my 
opinion; or this is my counsel. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 6, 10, 40. 
1[ That the younger women marry. The 
word women is not expressed or neces- 
sarily implied in the original — vecotI- 
pa<s — and it is evident that the apostle 
here had particular reference to wid- 
ows, and that the injunction should be 
understood as relating to them. We 
are not to suppose that he gives this as 
an absolute and universal command, 
for it might not alwa}'s be at the op- 
tion of the widow to marry again, and 
it can not be doubted that there may 
be cases where it would be unadvisa- 
ble. But he speaks of this as a gen- 
eral rule. It is better for such per- 
sons to have domestic concerns that 
require their attention, than it is to 
be exposed to the evils of an idle life. 
We may learn from this (1. ) that sec- 
ond marriages are not improper or un- 
lawful, but that in some circumstances 
•they may be preferable to widowhood; 
(2.) that marriage itself is in a high 
degree honorable. How different are 
the views of the inspired apostle Paul 
about marriage from those of the Pa- 
pists ! U Bear children, guide the house. 
These words signify, says Bloomfield, 
to "exercise and occupy themselves in 
the duties of a wife." It is better to 



174 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



15 For some are already turned 
aside after Satan. 

16 If any man or woman thatbe- 
lieveth have widows, let them re- 



be employed in the duties growing 
out of the cares of a family than to 
lead a life of celibacy. Give none oc- 
casion to the adversary. The enemy of 
religion — the heathen or the infidel, 
'If To speak reproachfully. Marg.,/or 
their railing. That is, on account of 
a life which would do no honor to re- 
ligion. In the performance of domes- 
tic duties, when fully employed, they 
would avoid the evils specified in ver. 
13. Every one who professes religion 
should so live as to give no occasion 
to an infidel or a man of the world to 
speak reproachfully of the cause of the 
Redeemer. 

15. For some are already turned aside 
after Satan. That is, some young wid- 
ows. The meaning is, that in the re- 
spects above mentioned (ver. 13) they 
had followed the great Tempter, rath- 
er than the Lord Jesus, This is sta- 
ted as a reason why they should not be 
admitted into the number of the wid- 
ows who were to be maintained at the 
expense of the Church, and to whom 
the care of the younger female mem- 
bers was to be committed. 

16. If any manor woman that believeth. 
Christians are often simply called be- 
lievers, because faith is the leading and 
most important act of their religion. 
If Have widows. Widowed mothers, or 
grandmothers, or -any other widows 
whose support would naturally de- 
volve on them. % Let them relieve them. 
That is, let them support them. This 
was an obvious rule of duty. See Notes 
on ver. 8. Nothing can be more un- 
reasonable than to leave those who 
are properly dependent on us to be 
supported by others, when we are able 
to maintain them ourselves. If That 
it may relieve, etc. That it may have 
the means of supporting those who 
are really dependent. To require or 
expect the Church, therefore, to sup- 
port those whom we ought ourselves 
to support, is, in fact, to rob the poor 
and friendless. In regard to these di- 
rections respecting widows (ver. 3- 
16), we may remark in general, as the 
result of the exposition which has been 
given, (1.) they were to be poor wid- 
ows, who had not the means of sup- 
port themselves. (2.) They were, prob- 



lieve them, and let not the Church 
be charged; that it may relieve 
them that are widows indeed. 
17 Let a the elders that rule well 

a 1 Thess.5.12,13. 

ably, to be not merely supported, but 
to be usefully employed in the service 
of the Church, particularly in over- 
seeing the conduct, and imparting in- 
struction to the female members. (3. ) 
They were to be of such age and char- 
acter that there would be security of 
stability and correctness of deport- 
ment ; such that they would not be 
tempted to leave the situation, or to 
act so as to give occasion of reproach. 
(4.) It is by no means certain that this 
was intended to be a permanent ar- 
rangement. It grew probably out of 
the peculiar customs respecting inter- 
course between the sexes in the Ori- 
ental world, and would undoubtedly 
be _ proper now in similar circum- 
stances. But it by no means follows 
that this arrangement is binding on 
the churches where the customs of 
society are different. Yet (5.) the 
passage inculcates the general princi- 
ple that the poor widows of the 
Church are to be assisted, when they 
have no relatives on whom they can 
naturally depend. No class of people 
are more helpless than aged widows, 
and for that class God has always 
shown a special concern, and his peo- 
ple should do so likewise. 

17. Let the elders that rule well. Gr., 
TrpnaftuTEpoi, presbyters. The apostle 
had given full instructions respecting 
bishops (ch. iii. 1-7) ; deacons (ch. iii. 
8-13); widows (ch. v. 3-16); and he 
here proceeds to prescribe the duty of 
the Church toward those who sustain 
the office of elder. The word used — 
elder or presbyter — properly refers to 
age, and is then used to denote the of- 
ficers of the Church, probably because 
the aged were at first intrusted with 
the administration of its affairs. The 
word was in familiar use among the 
Jews to denote the body of men that 
presided in the synagogue. See Notes 
on Matt. xv. 2 ; Acts xi. 30 ; xv. 2. 
Tf That rule well. Presiding well, or 
well managing the spiritual interests 
of the Church. The word rendered 
rule — TrpoEGT cote's — is from a verb 
meaning to be over; to preside over; 
to have the care of. The word is used 
with reference to bishops, Titus i. 5, 7; 
to an apostle, 1 Pet. v. 1 ; and is such 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTEE V. 



175 



be counted worthy of double hon- 
our, especially they who labour in 
the word and doctrine. 
18 For the Scripture saith, a Thou 

a Deut. 25.4. 

a word as would apply to any officers 
to whom the management and govern- 
ment of the Church w r as intrusted. 
On the general subject of the rulers 
in the Church, see Notes on 1 Cor. xii. 
28. It is probable that the same or- 
ganization was not pursued in every 
place where a Church was established ; 
and where there was a Jewish syna- 
gogue, the Christian Church would be 
formed substantially after that mod- 
el, and in such a Church there would 
be a bench of presiding elders. See, 
on this subj ect, Whately's Kingdom 
of Christ delineated, p. 84-86. The 
language here seems to have been 
taken from such an organization. On 
the Jewish synagogue, see Notes on 
Matt. iv. 23. H Be counted worthy of 
double honor. Of double respect ; that 
is, of a high degree of respect; of a de- 
gree of respect becoming their age 
and office. Comp. 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. 
From the quotation which is made in 
ver. 18, in relation to this subject, it 
would seem probable that the apostle 
had some reference also to their sup- 
port, or to w T hat was necessary for 
their maintenance. There is no iru* 
probability in supposing that all the 
officers of the Church, of whatever 
grade or rank, may have had some 
compensation, corresponding to the 
amount of time which their office re- 
quired them to devote to the service 
of the Church. Nothing would be 
more reasonable, if their duties in the 
Church interfered with their regular 
employments in their secular calling, 
than that their brethren should con- 
tribute to their support. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Cor. ix. If Especially they who la- 
bor in the word and doctrine. In preach- 
ing and instructing the people. From 
this it is clear that, while there were 
"elders" who labored u in the word 
and doctrine," that is, in preaching, 
there were also those who did not la- 
bor u in the word and doctrine," but 
who Were nevertheless appointed to 
rule in the Church. Whether, how- 
ever, they were regarded as a separate 
and distinct class of officers, does not 
appear from this passage. It may have 
been that there was a bench of elders 
to w r hom the general management of 



shalt not muzzle the ox that tread- 
eth out the corn : And, b The la- 
bourer is worthy of his reward. 
19 Against an elder receive not 

h Luke 10. 7. 

the Church was confided, and that a 
part of them were engaged in preach- 
ing; a part may have performed the 
office of u teachers" (see Notes on 
Horn. xii. 7 ; 1 Cor. xii. 28) ; and a part 
may have been employed in managing 
other concerns of the Church, and yet 
all were regarded as the tpoegtwte^ 
TrpeafivTEpoi — or " elders presiding over 
the Church." It can not, I think, be 
certainly concluded from this passage 
that the ruling elders who did not 
teach or preach were regarded as a 
separate class or order of permanent 
officers in the Church. There seems 
to have been a bench of elders select- 
ed on account of age, piet3 T , prudence, 
and wisdom, to whom was intrusted 
the whole business of the instruction 
and government of the Church, and 
they performed the various parts of 
the duty as they had ability. Those 
among them who " labored in the 
word and doctrine," and who gave up 
all their time to the business of their 
office, would be •worthy of special re- 
spect and of a higher compensation. 

18. For the Scripttire saith. This is 
adduced as a reason why a Church 
should show all due respect and care 
for its ministers. The reason is, that 
as God took care to make provision 
for the laboring ox, much more should 
due attention be paid to those who la- 
bor for the welfare of the Church. 
*j| Thou shalt not muzzle the ox. See 
this passage explained, and its bearing 
on such an argument shown, in the 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 8-10. J And, The 
laborer is worthy of his reward. This ex- 
pression is found substantially in Matt, 
x. 10 and Luke x. 7. It does not oc- 
cur in so many words in the Old Testa- 
ment, andyet the apostle adduces it ev- 
idently as a quotation from the Script- 
ures, and as authority in the case. It 
would seem probable, therefore, that 
he had seen the Gospel by Matthew or 
by Luke, and that he quoted this as a 
part of Scripture, and regarded the 
Book from w T hich he made the quota- 
tion as of the same authority as the 
Old Testament. If so, then this may 
be regarded as an attestation of the 
apostle to the inspiration of the " Gos- 
pel" in which it was found. 



176 

an accusation, but 1 before two a 
or three witnesses. 

1 or, under. a Deut. 19. 15. 

19. Against an elder. The word elder 
here seems to be used in the sense in 
which it is in the previous verse as re- 
lating to office, and not in the sense of 
an aged man, as in ver. 1. The con- 
nection demands this interpretation. 
^Receive not an accusation. He was 
not to regard such a charge as well 
founded unless sustained by two or 
three witnesses. It is clear from this 
that Paul supposed that Timothy 
would be called on to hear charges 
against others who were in the min- 
isterial office, and to express his judg- 
ment on such cases. There is no rea- 
son, however, to suppose that he 
meant that he should hear them alone, 
or as a "bishop," for this direction 
does not make the supposition im- 
proper that others would be associa- 
ted with him. It is just such counsel 
as would now be given to a Presby- 
terian or Congregational minister, or 
such as would be given to an associate 
justice in a court, on the supposition 
that a brother judge was at any time 
to be tried by him and his colleagues. 
TT But before two or three witnesses. Marg. , 
under. The meaning is, unless sup- 
ported by the testimony of two or 
three persons. *He was not to regard 
an accusation against a presbyter as 
proved, if there was but one witness 
in the case, however positive he might 
be in his testimony. The reasons for 
this direction were probably such as 
these: (1.) This was the requirement 
of the Jewish law in all cases, which 
had thus settled & principle which the 
apostle seems to have regarded as im- 
portant, if not obligatory, under the 
Christian dispensation. See Deut. 
xvii. 6 ; xix. 15. Comp. Notes on John 
viii. 17; 2 Cor. xiii. 1. (2.) There 
would be much greater reason to ap- 
prehend that one person might be de- 
ceived in the matter on which he bore 
witness, or might do it from malig- 
nant motives, or might be bribed to 
give false testimony, than that two or 
three would give such testimony ; and 
the arrangement, therefore, furnished 
an important security for the inno- 
cent. (3.) There might be reason to 
apprehend that evil-minded persons 
might be disposed to bring charges 
against the ministers of the Gospel or 
other officers of the Church, and it 



[A.D. 58. 

20 Them that sin rebuke h before 
all, that c others also may fear. 

ft Lev. 19. 17. c Deut. 13. 11. 



was important, therefore, that their 
rights should be guarded with anxious 
care. The ministers of religion often 
give offense to wicked men by their 
rebukes of sin (comp. Mark vi. 17-20); 
wicked men would rejoice to see an 
accusation against them sustained; 
the cause of religion would be liable 
to suffer much when its ministers were 
condemned as guilty of gross offenses, 
and it is right, therefore, that the evi- 
dence in the case should be as free as 
possible from all suspicion that it is 
caused by malignity, by hatred of re- 
ligion, by conspiracy, or by a desire to 
see religion dishonored. (4.) The 
character of a minister of the Gospel 
is of value, not only to himself and fam- 
ily, as is the case with that of other 
men, but is of special value to the 
Church, and to the cause of religion. 
It is the property of the Church. The 
interests of religion depend much on 
it, and it should not be wantonly as- 
sailed; and every precaution should 
be adopted that Christianity should 
not be deprived of the advantage 
which may be derived in its favor from 
the piety, the experience, and the tal- 
ents of its public defenders. At the 
same time, however, the wicked, 
•though in the ministry, should not be 
screened from the punishment which 
they deserve. The apostle gave no in- 
junction to attempt to cover up their 
faults, or to save them from a fair trial. 
He only demanded such security as 
the nature of the case required, that 
the trial should be fair. If a minister 
of the Gospel has been proved to be 
guilty of crime, the honor of religion, 
as well as simple justice, requires that 
he shall be punished as he deserves. 
He sins against great light ; he prosti- 
tutes a holy office, and makes use of 
the very reputation which his office 
gives him, that he may betray the con- 
fidence of others; and such a man 
should not escape. There should be no 
"benefit of clergy;" and neither a 
black coat, nor a mitre, nor bands, nor 
the lawn should save a villain. 

20. Them that si?i. That have been 
proved to have committed sin — refer- 
ring probably to the elders mentioned 
in the previous verse, but giving the 
direction so general a form that it 
might be applicable to others. 1 Be- 



I. TIMOTHY. 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



177 



21 1 charge a thee before God, and 
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect 

a 2 Tim. 4.1. b Rev. 12. 7-9. 



buke before all. Before all the Church 
or congregation. The word rebuke 
properly denotes to reprove or repre- 
hend. It means here that there should 
be a public statement of the nature of 
the offense, and such a censure as the 
case demanded. It extends only to 
spiritual censures. There is no power 
given of inflicting any punishment by 
line or imprisonment. The power of 
the Church, in such cases, is only to ex- 
press its strong and decided disappro- 
bation of the wrong done, and, if the 
case demands it, of disowning the of- 
fending member or minister. This di- 
rection to u rebuke an offender before 
all," maybe easily reconciled with the 
direction in ver. 1, "Kebuke not an 
elder." The latter refers to the pri- 
vate and pastoral intercourse with an 
elder, and to the method in which he 
should be treated in such intercourse 
— to wit, with the feelings due to a 
father ; the direction here refers to the 
manner in wiiich an offender should 
be treated who has been proved to be 
guilty, and where the case has become 
public. In the latter case there is to 
be Si public expression of disapproba- 
tion. T[ That others also may fear. That 
they may be kept from committing 
the same offense. Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 14. 
The design of the punishment is not 
the gratification of the private feelings 
of him who administers it, but the pre- 
vention of crime. 

21. 1 charge thee before God. Comp. 
Luke xvi. 28; Acts ii. 20. The word 
rendered charge means, properly, to 
call to witness ; then to affirm with 
solemn attestations ; then to admon- 
ish solemnly, to urge upon earnestly. 
It is a word which implies that the 
subject is of great importance. Paul 
gives this charge as in the presence 
of God, of the Redeemer, and of the 
elect angels, and wishes to secure that 
sense of its solemnity which must 
arise from the presence of such holy 
witnesses. And the Lord Jesus Chrisi. 
As in the presence of the Lord Jesus; 
with his eye resting upon you.- H And 
the elect angels. It is not uncommon 
in the Scriptures to speak as if we 
were in the presence of holy angels, 
and of the disembodied spirits of the 
good. Comp. Notes on Heb, xii. 1. 
No one can prove that the angels, and 
H 2 



angels, that thou observe these 
things without preferring 1 one c 

1 or, prejudice. c Deut. 1.17. 

that the departed spirits of holy men, 
are not witnesses of what we do. At 
all events, it is right to urge on others 
the performance of duty as if the eye 
of a departed father, mother, or sister 
were fixed upon us, and as if we were 
encompassed by all the holy beings of 
heaven. Sin, too, should be avoided 
as if every eye in the universe were 
upon us. How many things we do 
w r hich w T e would not do ; how many 
feelings we cherish which we would at 
once banish from our minds, if we felt 
that the heavens above us were as 
transparent as glass, and that all the 
holy beings around the throne were 
fixing an intense gaze upon us ! The 
word "elect" here seems to imply that 
there had been some influence used to 
keep them, and some purpose respect- 
ing them, which had not existed in re- 
gard to those who had fallen. Saints 
are called elect because they are chosen 
of God unto salvation (see Notes on 
Eph. i. 4, 5), and it would appear that 
it is a great law extending through 
the universe, thai both those who re- 
main in a state of holiness, and those 
who are made holy, are the subjects of 
purpose and choice on the part of God. 
The fact only is stated ; the reaswis 
which led to the choice, alike in re- 
gard to angels and men, are unknown 
to us. Comp. Notes on Matt. xi. 25. 
T[ That thou observe these things. Prob- 
ably referring to all the things which 
he had enjoined in the previous parts 
of the -epistle. Without preferring 
one before another. Marg., prejudice. 
The meaning is, without previous judg- 
ment — xwpU TrpoKpifxcLTos — without 
any prejudice on account of rank, 
wealth, personal friendship, or predi- 
lection of any sort. Let there be en- 
tire impartiality in all cases. Justice 
was beautifully represented by the 
ancients as holding a pair of scales 
equally balanced. It is as important 
that there should be entire impartial- 
ity in the Church as in civil transac- 
tions, and though it is not wrong for 
a minister of the Gospel to have his 
personal friends, yet in the adminis- 
tration of the affairs of the Church he 
should remember that all are brethren, 
and that all, of whatever rank, color, 
sex, or age, have equal rights, "ff Par- 
tiality. Gr., inclination, or proclivity — 



178 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



before another, doing nothing by 
partiality. 
22 Lay hands a suddenly on no 

a Acts 13. 3. 

that is, without being inclined to favor 
one party or person more than an- 
other. There should be no purpose 
to find one guilty and another inno- 
cent ; no inclination of heart toward 
one which would lead us to resolve to 
find him innocent, and no aversion 
from another which would make us 
resolve to find him guilty. 

22. Lay hands suddenly on no man. 
Some have understood this of the lay- 
ing on hands to heal the sick (Koppe) ; 
others of the laying on of hands to 
absolve penitents, but the obvious 
meaning is to refer it to ordination. 
It was usual to lay the hands on the 
heads of those who were ordained to 
a sacred office, or appointed to per- 
form an important duty. See Notes 
on ch. iv. 14. Comp. Acts vi. 6; viii. 
17. The idea here is, that Timothy 
should not be hasty in an act so im- 
portant as that of introducing men to 
the ministry. He should take time to 
give them a fair trial of their piety; 
he should have satMactory evidence 
of their qualifications. He should not 
at once introduce a man to the minis- 
try because he gave evidence of piety, 
or because he burned with an ardent 
zeal, or because he thought himself 
qualified for the work. It is clear 
from this that the apostle regarded 
Timothy as having the right to ordain 
to the ministry ; but not that he was 
to ordain alone, or as a prelate. The 
injunction would be entirely proper 
on the supposition that others were 
to be associated with him in the act 
of ordaining. It is just such as a Pres- 
byterian father in the ministry would 
give in a charge to his son now ; it is 
in fact just the charge which is now 
given by Presbyterians and Congrega- 
tionalists to those who are set apart 
to the sacred office, in reference to or- 
daining others. *\ Neither be partakers 
of other men's sins. This is evidently 
to be interpreted in connection with 
the injunction "to lay hands suddenly 
on no man." The meaning, in this 
connection, is, that Timothy was not 
to become a participant in the sins of 
another by introducing him to the sa- 
cred office. He was not to invest one 
with a holy, office who was a wicked 
man or a heretic, for this would be to 



man, neither be partaker b of other 
men's sins : keep thyself pure. 
23 Drink no longer water, but use 

b 2 John 11. 

sanction his wickedness and error. If 
we ordain a man to the office of the 
ministry who is known to be living in 
sin, or to cherish dangerous error, we 
become the patrons of the sin and of 
the heresy. We lend to it the sanc- 
tion of our approbation ; we give to 
it whatever currency it may acquire 
from the reputation which we may 
have, or which it may acquire from the 
influence of the sacred office of the 
ministry. Hence the importance of 
caution in investing any one with the 
ministerial office. But while Paul 
meant, doubtless, that this should be 
applied particularly to ordination to 
the ministry, he has given the direc- 
tion a general character. In no way 
are we to participate in the sins of 
other men. We are not to be engaged 
with them in doing wrong; we are 
not to patronize them in a wicked em- 
ployment ; w r e are not to be known as 
their companions or friends ; and we 
are not to partake of their unlawful 
gains. We are not to loan money, or 
a boat, or a horse, or a pistol, or a 
bowie-knife for an unlawful business ; 
we are not to furnish capital for the 
slave-trade, or for manufacturing in- 
toxicating drinks, or for an enterprise 
that contemplates the violation of the 
Sabbath. H Keep thyself pure. Partic- 
ularly, in regard to participation in 
the sins of others; generally, in all 
things — in heart, in word, in conduct. 

23. Brink no longer water. There has 
been much difficulty felt in regard to 
the connection which this advice has 
with what precedes and what follows. 
Many have considered the difficulty to 
be so great that they have supposed 
that this verse has been displaced, and 
that it should be introduced in some 
other connection. The true connec- 
tion, and the reason for the introduc- 
tion of the counsel here, seems to me 
to be this : Paul appears to have been 
suddenly impressed with the thought 
— a thought which is very likely to 
come over a man who is writing on 
the duties of the ministry— of the ar- 
duous nature of the ministerial office. 
He was giving counsels in regard to an 
office which required a great amount 
of toil,, care, and anxiety. The labors 
enjoined were such as to demand all 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



179 



the time; the care and anxiety inci- 
dent to such a charge would be very 
likely to prostrate the frame and to 
injure the health. Then he remem- 
bered that Timothy was yet but a 
youth ; he recalled his feebleness of 
constitution and his frequent attacks 
of illness; he recollected the very 
abstemious habits which he had pre- 
scribed for himself, and, in this con- 
nection, he urges him to a careful re- 
gard for his health, and prescribes the 
use of a small quantity of wine, min- 
gled with his water, as a suitable med- 
icine in his case. Thus considered, 
this direction is as worthy to be given 
by an inspired teacher as it is to coun- 
sel a man to pay a proper regard to his 
health, and not needlessly to throw 
away his life. Compare Matt. x. 23. 
The phrase, " drink no longer water," 
is equivalent to, "drink not water 
only.''' 1 See numerous instances in 
Wetstein. The Greek word here used 
does not elsewhere occur in the New 
Testament. But use a little wine. 
Mingled with the water — the common 
method of drinking wine in the East. 
See Robinson's Bibliotheca Sacra, i., 
512, 513. %For thy stomach'' s sake. It 
was not for the pleasure to be derived 
from the use of wine, or because it 
would produce hilarity or excitement, 
but solely because it was regarded as 
necessary for the promotion of health ; 
that is. as a medicine. \And thine oft- 
en infirmities. aarSevdas — weaknesses 
or sicknesses. This word would in- 
clude all infirmities of the body, but 
it seems to refer here to some attacks 
of sickness to which Timothy was lia- 
ble, or to some constitutional feeble- 
ness ; but beyond this we have no in- 
formation in regard to the nature of 
his maladies. In view of this passage, 
and as a further explanation of it, we 
may make the following remarks : (1.) 
The use of wine, and of all intoxicating 
drinks, was solemnly forbidden to the 
priests under the Mosaic law when 
engaged in the performance of their 
sacred duties. Lev. x. 9, 10. The 
same was the case among the Egyp- 
tian priests. — Clarke. Compare Notes 
on ch. iii. 3. It is not improbable that 
the same thing would be regarded as 
proper among those who ministered 
in holy things under the Christian dis- 
pensation. The natural feeling would 
be, and not improperly, that a Chris- 
tian minister should not be less holy 
than a Jewish priest, and especially 



when it is remembered that the reason 
of the Jewish law remained the same 
— " that ye may put difference between 
holy and unholy, and clean and un- 
clean." (2.) It is evident from this 
passage that Timothy usually drank 
water only, or that, in modern lan- 
guage, he was a " teetotaller. 1 '' He was, 
evidently, not in the habit of drinking 
wine, or he could not have been ex- 
horted to do it. (3.) He must have 
been a remarkably temperate youth to 
have required the authority of an apos- 
tle to induce him to drink even a little 
wine. See Doddridge. There are few 
young men so temperate as to require 
such an authority to induce them to 
do it. (4.) The exhortation extended 
only to a very moderate use of wine. 
It was not to drink it freely ; it was 
not to drink it at the tables of the rich 
and the great, or in the social circle ; 
it was not even to drink it by itself; 
it was to use "a little," mingled with 
water — for this w r as the usual method. 
See Athaeneus, Deipno., lib. ix., x., c. 7. 
(5.) It was not as a common drink, but 
the exhortation or command extends 
only to its use as a medicine. The 
only inference which can be legiti- 
mately drawn from this injunction is, 
that it is proper to use a small quan- 
tity of wine for medicinal purposes. 
(6.) There are many ministers of the 
Gospel, now, alas ! to whom under no 
circumstances could an apostle apply 
this exhortation — "Drink no longer 
water only." They would ask, with 
surprise, what he meant? Whether 
he intended it in irony, and for banter 
—for they need no apostolic command 
to drink wine. Or if he should ad- 
dress to them the exhortation, "use 
a little wine," they could regard it only 
as a reproof for their usual habit of 
drinking much. To many, the exhor- 
tation would be appropriate, if they 
ought to use wine at all, only because 
the}' are in the habit of using so much 
that it would be proper to restrain 
them to a much smaller quantity. (7.) 
This whole passage is one of great 
value to the cause of temperance. 
Timothy was undoubtedly in the habit 
of abstaining wholly from the use of 
wine. Paul knew this, and he did not 
reprove him for it. He manifestly fa- 
vored the general habit, and only ask- 
ed him to depart in some small degree 
from it, in order that he might restore 
and preserve his health. So far, and 
no further, is it right to apply this lan- 



180 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



a little wine a for thy* stomach's 
sake and thine often infirmities. 

24 Some men's sins are open b be- 
forehand, going before to judg- 

a Prov. 31.6. 

guage in regard to the use of wine; 
and the minister who should follow 
this injunction would be in no danger 
of disgracing his sacred profession by 
the debasing and demoralizing sin of 
intemperance. 

24. Some men's si?is are open before- 
hand. This declaration, though it as- 
sumes a general form, is to be taken 
evidently in connection with the 
general subject of introducing men to 
the ministry (ver. 22) ; and ver. 23 is 
to be regarded as a parenthesis. The 
apostle had given Timothy a charge 
(ver. 22) respecting the character of 
those whom he should ordain. He 
here says, in reference to that, that 
the character of some men was mani- 
fest. There was no disguise. It was 
evident to all what it was, and there 
could be no danger of mistake respect- 
ing it. Their conduct was apparent 
to all. About such men he ought not 
to hesitate a moment, and, no matter 
what their talents, or learning, or rank 
in the community, he ought to have 
no participation in introducing them 
to the ministry. If Going before to 
judgment. Their character is well un- 
derstood. There is no need of wait- 
ing for the day of judgment to know 
what they are. Their deeds so precede 
their own appearance at the judgment- 
bar that the record and the verdict can 
be made up before they arrive there, 
and there will be scarcely need even 
of the formality of a trial. The mean- 
ing here is, that there could be no 
doubt about the character of such 
men, and Timothy should not be ac- 
cessory to their being introduced into 
the office of the ministry. And some 
men they follow after. That is, their 
character is not fully understood here. 
They conceal their plans. They prac- 
tice deception. They appear different 
from what they really are. But the 
character of such men will be devel- 
oped, and they will be judged accord- 
ing to their works. They can not hope 
to escape with impunity. Though 
they have endeavored to hide their evil 
deeds, yet they will follow after them 
to the judgment-bar, and will meet 
them there. The meaning, in this con- 
nection, seems to be, that there ought 



ment : and some men they follow 
after. 

25 Likewise also the good works 
of some are manifest beforehand ; 

b Gal. 5. 19. 

to be circumspection in judging of the 
qualifications of men for the office of 
the ministry. It ought not to be in- 
ferred from favorable appearances at 
once, or on slight acquaintance, that 
they are qualified for the office— for 
they may be of the number of those 
whose characters, now concealed or 
misunderstood, will be developed only 
on the final trial. 

25. Likewise also the good works of 
some are manifest beforehand. Their 
character is clear, and accurately un- 
derstood. There can be no doubt, 
from their works, that they are good 
men. We need not wait for the day 
of judgment to determine that point, 
but we may treat them here as good 
men, and introduce them to offices 
which only good men should fill. The 
idea here is, that their character may 
be so certain and undoubted that there, 
need be no hesitation in setting them 
apart to the office of the ministry. 
1" And they that are otherwise can not be 
hid. That is, they can not be ulti- 
mately concealed or misunderstood. 
There are arrangements in the divine 
government for bringing out the char- 
acter of every man so that it may be 
clearly seen. The expression here re- 
fers to good men. The idea is, that 
there are some good men whose char- 
acter is known to all. Their deeds 
spread a glory around them, so that no 
one can mistake what they are. They 
correspond, in respect to the public- 
ity of their character, with those 
mentioned in ver. 24, whose il sins are 
open beforehand ;" for the good deeds 
of the one are as manifest as the sins 
of the other. But there are those who 
are "otherwise." They are modest, re- 
tiring, unobtrusive, unknown. They 
may live in obscurity; may have slen- 
der means for doing good; may be 
constitutionally so diffident that they 
never appear on the stage of public 
action. What they do is concealed 
from the world. These correspond in 
respect to publicity with those men- 
tioned in ver. 24, "whose deeds follow 
after them." Yet, says the apostle, 
these can not always be hid. There are 
arrangements for developing every 
man's character, and it will be ulti- 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER V. 



181 



mately known what he is. The con- 
nection here seems to be this. As 
Timothy (ver. 24) was to be on his 
guard in introducing men into the 
ministry against those whose charac- 
ter for evil was not developed, but 
who might be concealing their plans 
and practicing secret sins, so he was 
to endeavor to search out the mod- 
est, the unobtrusive, and those who, 
though iipw unknown, were among 
the excellent of the earth, and bring 
them forward to a station of useful- 
ness where their virtues might shine 
on the world. 

Apart from the reference of this 
beautiful passage (vs. 24, 25) to the 
ministry, it contains truth important 
to all. 

(1.) The character of many wicked 
men is clearly known. No one has 
any doubt of it. Their deeds have 
gone before J^em, and are recorded in 
the Books wkt will be open at the 
judgment. They might even now be 
judged without the formality of ap- 
pearing there, and the universe would 
acquiesce in the sentence of condem- 
nation. 

(2.) The character of many wicked 
men is concealed. They hide their 
plans. They are practicing secret in- 
iquity. They do not mean that the 
world shall know what they are. 
More than half the real depravity of 
the world is thus concealed from hu- 
man view, and in regard to more than 
half the race who are going up to the 
judgment there is an entire mistake 
as to their real character. If all the 
secret wickedness of the earth Avere dis- 
closed, no one would have any doubt 
about the doctrine of human depravity. 

(3.) There is a process steadily go- 
ing forward for bringing out the real 
character of men, and showing what 
they are. This process consists, first, 
in the arrangements of Providence for 
developing their character here. Many 
a man, who was supposed to be vir- 
tuous, is shown, by some sudden trial, 
to have been all along a villain at 
heart. Many a minister of the Gospel, 
a lawyer, a physician, an officer in a 
bank, a merchant, whose character 
was supposed to stand fair, has been 
suffered to fall into open sin, that he 
might develop the long- cherished 
secret depravity of his soul. Second- 
ly, the process will be completed on 
the final trial. Then nothing will be 
concealed. Every man will be seen 



as he is. All those whose characters 
were understood to be wicked here 
will be seen then also to be wicked, 
and many who were supposed on earth 
to be good will be seen to have been 
hollow-hearted and base hypocrites. 

(4.) Every man in the last day will 
be judged according to his real char- 
acter. No one, however successful he 
may be here, can hope to practice a 
deception on his final Judge. 

(5.) There is a fitness and propriety 
in the fact that there will be a final 
judgment. Indeed, there must be such 
a judgment, in order that God may be 
just. The characters of men are not 
fully developed here. The process is 
not completed. Many are taken away 
before their schemes of iniquity are 
accomplished, and before it is really 
understood what they are at heart. 
If they were to live long enough on 
the earth, their characters would be 
ultimately developed, but the divine 
arrangement is that man shall not live 
long here, and the development, there- 
fore, must be in the future world. 

(6.) The modest, the retiring, the 
humble, and those here unknown, will 
not be overlooked in the last great day. 
There is much good, as there is much 
evil in the world, that is now concealed. 
There are many plans of benevolence 
formed which they who formed them 
are not permitted to complete; man} 7 
desires of benefiting others are cher- 
ished which there are no means of 
gratifying; many a deed of kindness 
is performed which is not blazoned 
abroad to the world ; and many a wish 
is entertained for the progress of vir- 
tue, the freedom of the enslaved, the 
relief of the oppressed, and the salva- 
tion of the world, which can find ex- 
pression only in prayer. We are not 
to suppose then that all that is con- 
cealed and unknown in the world is 
evil. 

(7.) There will be amazing develop- 
ments in the last great day; and as it 
will then be seen in the revelations 
of the secret deeds of evil that human 
nature is corrupt, so it will be seen 
that there was much more good in 
the world than was commonly sup- 
posed. As a large portion of the 
wickedness of the earth is concealed, 
so, from the necessity of the case, it 
is true that no small portion of the 
goodness on earth is hidden. Wicked- 
ness conceals itself from shame, from 
a desire better to effect its purposes, 



182 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



and they that are otherwise can 
not be hid. 

CHAPTER VI. 

LET as many servants a as are 
under the yoke count their 

a Eptu 6. 5. 

from the dread of punishment; good- 
ness, from its modesty, its retiring nat- 
ure, and from the want of an oppor- 
tunity of acting out its desires ; but 
whatever may have been the cause of 
the concealment, in every case all will 
be made known on the final trial — to 
the shame and confusion of the one 
class ; to the joy and triumph of the 
other. 

CHAPTER VI. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTEK. 

This chapter embraces the follow- 
ing subjects of counsel and exhorta- 
tion: 

(1.) The kind of instruction which 
was to be given to servants. Ver. 1- 
5. They were to treat their masters 
with all proper respect, ver. 1; if their 
masters were Christians, they were, 
on that account, to serve them with 
the more fidelity, ver. 2; and any op- 
posite kind of teaching would tend 
only to stir up strife and produce dis- 
satisfaction and contention, and could 
proceed only from a proud and self- 
confident heart. 

(2.) The advantage of piety and of 
a contented mind. Ver. 6-8. The 
argument for this is, that we brought 
nothing into the world, and can carry 
nothing out; that our essential wants 
here are food and raiment, and that, 
having enough to make us comforta- 
ble, we should be content. 

(3.) The evils of a desire to be rich 
(vs. 9, 10)— evils seen in the tempta- 
tions to which it leads; the passions 
which it fosters; and the danger to 
religion. 

(4.) An exhortation to Timothy, as 
a minister of religion, to pursue higher 
and nobler objects. Ver. 11-16. He 
was to follow after righteousness, and 
to fight the good fight of faith. To 
do this, he was to be encouraged by 
the assurance that the great and only 
Potentate would, in due time, place 
the crown on his head. 

(5.) The duty of those w r ho were 
rich — for it is supposed that some 
Christians will be rich — either by in- 
heritance or by prosperous business. 



own masters worthy of all honour, 
that the name of God and his doc- 
trine be not blasphemed. 

2 And they that have believing 
masters, let them not despise them. 



Ver. 17-19. They are (a) not to be 
proud; (6) they are not to trust in 
their riches so as to forget their de- 
pendence on God; (c) they are to do 
good with their property; and (d) to 
make their wealth the means of secur- 
ing eternal life. 

(6.) A solemn charge to Timothy to 
observe these things, and not to be 
turned from them by any of the argu- 
ments and objections of pretended 
science. Vs. 20, 21. 

1. Let as mayiy servants. On the word 
here rendered servants^- do v\oi — see 
Notes on Eph. vi. 5. The word was in 
fact commonly applied to a slave, but 
it is so extensive in its signification 
as to be applicable to any species of 
servitude, whether voluntary or invol- 
untary. If slavery existed in Ephesus 
at the time when this epistle was writ- 
ten, it would be applicable to slaves ; 
if any other kind of servitude existed, 
the word would be equally applicable 
to that. There is nothing in the word 
itself which essentially limits it to slav- 
ery. Examine Matt. xiii. 27 ; xx. 27 ; 
Mark v. 44 ; Luke ii. 29 ; John xv. 15 ; 
Acts ii. 18; iv. 29 ; xvi. 17; Rom. i. 1 ; 
2 Cor. iv. 5 ; Jude 1 ; Rev. i. 1 ; ii. 20 ; 
vii. 3. The addition of the phrase 
" under the yoke," however, shows 
undoubtedly that it is to be under- 
stood here of slavery. As are under 
the yoke. On the word yoke, see Notes 
on Matt. xi. 29. The phrase here prop- 
erly denotes slavery, as it would not 
be naturally and commonly applied to 
any other species of servitude. See 
Lev.xxvi.13. Dem.,322,12. £uyo? dou- 
Xoavi/7]9. — ~Rob.,Lex. It is sometimes 
applied to the Mosaic law as being a 
severe and oppressive burden — a con- 
dition of servitude or bondage. Acts 
xv. 10 ; Gal. v. 1. It may be remarked 
here that the apostle did not regard 
slavery as a light or desirable thing. He 
would not have applied this term to the 
condition of a wife or a child. If Count 
their own masters worthy of all honor. 
Treat them with all proper respect. 
They were to manifest the right spirit 
themselves, whatever their masters did ; 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



183 



because they are brethren; but 
rather do them service, because 
they are 1 faithful and beloved, 

1 or, believing. 

they were not under any circum- 
stances to do any thing that would 
dishonor religion. The injunction 
here would seem to have particular ref- 
erence to those whose masters w^ere 
not Christians. In the following verse, 
the apostle gives particular instruc- 
tions to those who had pious masters. 
The meaning here is, that the slave 
ought to show a Christian spirit to- 
ward his master who was not a Chris- 
tian; he ought to conduct himself so 
that religion vvouldnot be dishonored; 
he ought not to give his master occa- 
sion to say that the only effect of the 
Christian religion on the mind of a serv- 
ant was to make him restless, discon- 
tented, dissatisfied, and disobedient. 
In the humble and trying situation in 
which he confessedly was — under the 
yoke of bondage — he ought to evince 
patience, kindness, and respect for his 
master, and, as long as the relation 
continued, he was to be obedient. 
This command, however, was by no 
means inconsistent with his desiring 
his freedom, and securing it if the op- 
portunity presented itself. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. vii. 21. Comp., on the pas- 
sage before us, the Notes on Eph. vi. 
5-8, and 1 Pet. ii. 18. 1" That the name 
of God and Ms doctrine be not blasphemed. 
That religion be not dishonored and 
reproached, and that there may be no 
occasion to say that Christianity tends 
to produce discontent and to lead to 
insurrection. If the effect of religion 
had been to teach all who were serv- 
ants that they should no longer obey 
their masters, or that they should rise 
upon them and assert their freedom 
by violence, or that their masters were 
to be treated with indignity on ac- 
count of their usurped rights over 
others, the effect would have been ob- 
vious. There would have been a loud 
and united outcry against the new re- 
ligion, and it could have made no prog- 
ress in the world. Instead of this, 
Christianity taught the necessity of 
patience, meekness, and forbearance 
in the endurance of all wrong — wheth- 
er from private individuals (Matt. v. 
39-41 ; 1 Cor. vi. 7), or under the op- 
pressions and exactions of Nero (Rom. 
xiii. 1-7), or amid the hardships and 
cruelties of slavery. These peaceful 



partakers of the benefit. These 
things teach and exhort. 
3 If any man teach otherwise, and 



injunctions, however, did not demon- 
strate that Christ approved the act of 
him "that smote on the one cheek," 
or that Paul regarded the government 
of Nero as a good government — and 
as little do they prove that Paul or 
the Saviour approved of slavery. 

2. And they that have believing masters. 
Masters who are Christians. It is clear 
from this that Paul supposed that, at 
that time and under those circum- 
stances, a man might become a Chris- 
tian who had slaves under him. How 
long he might continue to hold his fel- 
low-men in bondage, andyet be a Chris- 
tian, is, however, quite a different ques- 
tion. It is quite clear, from the New 
Testament, as well as from facts now, 
that God may convert men when pur- 
suing any kind of wickedness. The 
effect of religion, however, in all cases, 
will be to lead them to cease to do 
wrong. It is by no means improbable 
that many of those who had owned 
slaves, in accordance with the prevail- 
ing custom in the Roman empire, may 
have been converted — for the fact that 
a man has been living a life of sin does 
not prevent the possibility of his con- 
version. There is no evidence, how- 
ever, that Paul refers here to any who 
had bought slaves after they were con- 
verted; nor is there any intimation 
of any such transaction among Chris- 
tians in the New Testament. Nor is 
there any intimation that he regarded 
it as right and best that they should con- 
tinue to hold slaves ; nor that he would 
approve of their making arrangements 
to persevere in this as a permanent in- 
stitution. Nor is it to be fairly infer- 
red from this passage that he meant to 
teach that they might continue this, 
and yet be entitled to all the respect 
and confidence due to the Christian 
name, or be regarded as maintaining 
a good standing in the Church. What- 
ever may be true on these points, the 
passage before us only proves that 
Paul believed that a man who was a 
slaveholder might be converted, and 
be spoken of as a "believer," or a 
Christian. Many have been converted 
in similar circumstances, as many have 
in the practice of all other kinds of in- 
iquity. What was their duty after 
their conversion, was another ques- 



184 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



tion ; and what was the duty of their 
" servants" or slaves, was another 
question still. It is only this latter 
question which the apostle is here con- 
sidering. H Not despise them, because 
they are brethren. Not treat them with 
any want of the respect which is due 
to their station. The word here used 
sometimes denotes to neglect, or, not to 
care for. Matt. vi. 24 ; Luke xvi. 13. 
Here it is not necessary to suppose 
that it denotes actual contempt, but 
only that want of respect which might 
possibly spring up in the mind if not 
well instructed, or not on its guard, 
among those who were servants or 
slaves. It was to be apprehended that 
one result of the fact that the master 
and the slave had both embraced relig- 
ion, would be to produce in the mind 
of the servant a want of respect and 
deference for his master. This dan- 
ger was to be apprehended from the 
following causes: (1.) Christianity 
taught that all men were made of 1 ' one 
blood," and were by nature equal. 
Acts xvii. 26. It was natural, there- 
fore, for the slave to infer that by nat- 
ure he was equal to his master, and 
it would be easy to pervert this truth 
to make him disrespectful and insub- 
ordinate. (2.) They were their equals 
as Christians. Christianity taught 
them that they were all "brethren" 
in the Lord, and that there was no dis- 
tinction before God. It might be nat- 
ural to infer from this that all distinc- 
tions in society were to be abolished, 
and that, in all respects, the slave was 
to regard himself as on a level with 
his master. (3.) Some, who did not 
well understand the nature of Chris- 
tianity, or who might have been dis- 
posed to cause trouble, may have 
taken advantage of the undeniable 
truths about the equality of men by 
nature and by redemption to produce 
discontent on the part of the slave. 
They may have endeavored to embit- 
ter the feelings of the slaves toward 
their masters who held them in bond- 
age. The effect, it is easy to see, may 
have been to lead those who were in 
a state of servitude to manifest open 
and marked disrespect. In opposition 
to this the apostle instructs Timothy 
to teach that Christianity does not 
rudely assail the existing institutions 
of society, and especially does not 
teach those who are in subordinate 
ranks to be disrespectful to those 
above them. *^But rather do them serv- 



ice. That is, serve them with more 
cheerfulness and alacrity than they did 
before the master was converted ; or 
serve them with the more cheerful- 
ness because the} 7 are Christians. The 
reasons for this were, because the mas- 
ter was now more worthy of affection- 
ate regard, and because the servant 
might look for better treatment at his 
hands. Comp. Notes on Eph. vi. 6. 
^ Because they are faithful. That is, be- 
cause they are believers, or are Chris- 
tians — ttlgtol ; the same word which 
in the beginning of the verse is ren- 
dered believing. It does not here mean 
that they were "faithful" to their serv- 
ants or their God, but merely that 
they were Christians. Tf And beloved. 
Probably, "beloved of God;" for so 
the word is often used. As they are 
the friends of God, they who are serv- 
ants should show them the more re- 
spect. The idea is, simply, that one 
whom God loves should be treated 
with more respect than if he were not 
thus beloved ; or, a good man deserves 
more respect than a bad man. In all 
the relations of life, we should respect 
those above us the more in proportion 
to the excellency of their character. 
H Partakers of the benefit. That is, the 
benefit which the Gospel imparts— for 
so the connection requires us to under- 
stand it. It can not mean, as many 
have supposed, that they were "par- 
takers of the benefit of the labors of 
the servant," or enjoyed the fruits of 
their labors — for how could this be a 
reason for their treating them with 
the more respect? This would be rath- 
er a reason for treating them with less 
respect, because they were living on 
the avails of unrequited toil. But the 
true reason assigned is, that the mas- 
ter had been, by the grace of God, per- 
mitted to participate in the same ben- 
efits of salvation as the servant; he 
had received, like him, the pardon of 
sin, and he was to be regarded as a fel- 
low-heir of the grace of life. The ex- 
pression here might be rendered, 
' ' they are partakers of, or are devoted 
to, the good cause. ' ' — Kob. , Lex. The ar- 
gument is that they were not infidels, 
or strangers to religion, or men who 
would try to hinder the progress of 
that which was dear to the heart of the 
servant, but were united with them in 
that same good work ; they participa- 
ted in the blessings of the same salva- 
tion, and they were really endeavoring 
to further the interests of religion. 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



185 



consent not to wholesome a words, 
even the words of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and to the doctrine which 
is according b to godliness ; 

a 2 Tim. 1.13. b Tim. 1.1. 

There ought, therefore, to be the more 
respect shown to them, and the more 
cheerful service rendered them. 

3. If any man teach otherwise. Oth- 
erwise than that respect should be 
shown to masters, and that a more 
cheerful and ready service should be 
rendered because they were Christians. 
It is evidently implied here that some 
might be disposed to inculcate such 
views of religion as would produce 
discontent and a spirit of insubordina- 
tion among those who were held to 
servitude. WIio they were is not 
known, nor is it known what argu- 
ments they would employ. It would 
seem probable that the arguments 
which would be employed would be 
such as these: that God made all 
men equal ; that all had been redeem- 
ed by the same blood ; that all true 
Christians were fellow-heirs of heav- 
en ; that it was wrong to hold a Chris- 
tian brother in bondage, etc. From 
such undeniable principles it would 
seem that they drew the inference that 
slaves ought at once to assert their 
freedom ; that they should refuse obe- 
dience to their masters ; and the tend- 
ency of their teaching was, instead of 
removing the evil by the gradual and 
silent influence of Christian princi- 
ples, to produce discontent and insur- 
rection. From some of the expres- 
sions here used by the apostle as 
characteristic of these teachers, it 
would seem to be probable that they 
were Jews. They were men given to 
subtle disputations ; they doted about 
questions and verbal disputes; and 
they were intent on gain, supposing 
that that which conduced to mere 
worldly prosperity was of course re- 
ligion. These characteristics apply 
well to Jewish teachers. H And con- 
sent not to wholesome ivords. Words 
conducing to a healthful state of the 
Church ; that is, doctrines tending to 
produce order and a due observance 
of the proprieties of life ; doctrines 
leading to contentment, to sober 
industry, and to the patient endur- 
ance of evils. H Even the words of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. The doctrines of 
the Saviour — all of which tended to a 
quiet life, and to a patient endurance 



4 He is proud, 1 knowing c nothing, 
but 2 doting about questions and 
strifes of words, whereof cometh 
envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 

1 or, a fool. c 1 Cor. 8. 2. 2 or, sick. 

of wrongs. If And to the doctrine which 
is according to godliness. Which tends 
to produce piety or religion ; that is, 
the doctrine which would be most fa- 
vorable to an easy and rapid propaga- 
tion of the Gospel. The idea seems to 
be that such a state of insubordination 
and discontent as they would produce 
would be unfavorable to the promo- 
tion of religion. Who can doubt it? 

4. He is proud. That is, he is lifted 
up with his fancied superior acquaint- 
ance with the nature of religion. The 
Greek verb means, properly, to smoke, 
to fume ; and then to be inflated, to be 
conceited, etc. The idea is, that he has 
no proper knowledge of the nature 
of the Gospel, and yet he values him- 
self on a fancied superior acquaintance 
with its principles. *H Knowing noth- 
ing. Marg., a fool. That is, that he 
does not understand the nature of re- 
ligion as he supposes he does. His 
views in regard to the relation of 
masters and servants, and to the bear- 
ing of religion on that relation, show 
that he is not acquainted with the true 
genius of Christianity. The apostle 
expresses this in strong language, by 
saying that he knows nothing. See 
Notes on 1 Cor. viii. 2. If But doting. 
Marg., sick. The Greek word — voaiw 
— means, properly, to be sick ; then to 
languish, to pine after. The meaning 
here is, that such persons had a sickly 
or morbid desire for debates of this 
kind. They had not a sound and 
healthy state of mind on the subject 
of religion. They were like a sickly 
man, who has no desire for solid and 
healthful food, but for that which will 
gratify a diseased appetite. They de- 
sired not sound doctrine, but contro- 
versies about unimportant and unsub- 
stantial matters — things that bore the 
same relation to important doctrines 
I which the things that a sick man pines 
after do to substantial food. H Ques- 
tions and strifes of words. The Jews 
abounded much in disputes of this 
sort, and it would seem probable that 
the persons here referred to were Jew- 
ish teachers. Comp. Notes on ch. i. 6, 
7, and Acts xviii. 15. H Whereof cometh 
envy. The only fruit of which is to pro- 
duce envy. That is, the appearance of 



186 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



5 Perverse 1 disputings of men of 
corrupt minds, and destitute of the 

1 or, gallings one of another. 

superior knowledge, the boast of be- 
ing profoundly acquainted with relig- 
ion, and the show of an ability for 
subtle argumentation, would produce 
in a certain class envy. Envy is un- 
easiness, pain, mortification, or discon- 
tent, excited by another's prosperi- 
ty, or by his superior knowledge or 
possessions. See Notes on Rom. i. 29. 
IT Strife. Or contentions with those 
who will not readily yield to their 
opinions. Railings. Harsh and abu- 
sive language toward those who will 
not concede a point — a common effect 
of disputes, and more commonly of 
disputes about small and unimportant 
matters than of those which are of 
magnitude. Such railings often at- 
tend disputes that arise out of nice 
and subtle distinctions. *U Evil sur- 
misings. Suspicions that they are led 
to hold their views not by the love of 
the truth, but from sordid or worldly 
motives. Such suspicions are very apt 
to attend an angry debate of any kind. 
It might be expected peculiarly to ex- 
ist on such a question as the apostle 
refers to here— the relation of a mas- 
ter and a slave. It is always very hard 
to do justice to the motives of one 
who seems to us to be living in sin, or 
to believe it to be possible that he acts 
from right motives. 

5. Perverse disputings. Marg. , gallings 
one of another. In regard to the cor- 
rect reading of this passage, see Bibli- 
cal Repository, iii., 61, 62. The word 
which is here nsed in the Received 
Text — Trapa&iaTpifi)] — occurs no where 
else in the New Testament. It prop- 
erly means misemployment ; then idle 
occupation. — Rob. , Lex. The verb from 
which this is derived means to rub in 
pieces, to wear away; and hence the word 
here used refers to what was a mere 
wearing away of time. The idea is that 
of employments that merely consumed 
time without any advantage. The no- 
tion of contention or dispute is not nec- 
essarily implied in the passage,but the 
allusion is to inquiries or discussions 
that were of no practical value, but 
were a mere consumption of time. 
Comp. Koppe on the passage. The 
reading in the margin is derived from 
the common nsage of the verb to rub, 
and hence our translators attached 
the idea of rubbing against each other, 



truth, supposing that gain is godli- 
ness : from such a withdraw thyself. 

a 2 Tim. 3. 5. 

or of galling each other, as by rubbing. 
This is not, however, the idea in the 
Greek word. The phrase "idle employ- 
ments" would better suit the meaning 
of the Greek than either of the phrases 
which our translators have employed. 

Of men of corrupt minds. That is, 
of wicked hearts. II And destitute of 
the truth. Not knowing the truth; or 
not having just views of truth. They 
show that they have no correct ac- 
quaintance with the Christian system. 
If Supposing that gain is godliness. That 
that which contributes to an increase 
of property is, of course, true religion; 
or that it is proper to infer that any 
course which contributes to worldly 
prosperity must be sanctioned by re- 
ligion. They judge of the consistency 
of any course with religion by its tend- 
ency to promote outward prosperity. 
This they have exalted into a maxim, 
and this they make the essential thing 
in religion. But how could any men 
do this ? And what connection would 
this have with the subject under con- 
sideration — the kind of instruction 
that was to be given to servants? The 
meaning of the maxim seems to be, 
that religion must necessarily be fa- 
vorable to prosperity by its promot- 
ing temperance, industry, and length 
of days ; and that since this was the 
case, it was fair to infer that any thing 
which would not do this could not be 
consistent with religion. They adopt- 
ed it, therefore, as a general rule of 
judging, and one in entire accordance 
with the wishes of their own hearts, 
that any course of life that would not 
do this must be contrary to the true 
spirit of religion. This maxim, it 
would seem, they applied to the rela- 
tion of the slave and his master, and 
as the tendency of the system was al- 
ways to keep the servant poor and in 
a humble condition, they seem to 
have inferred that the relation was 
contrary to Christianity, and hence to 
have excited the servant to disaffec- 
tion. In their reasoning they were not 
far out of the way, for it is fair to infer 
that a system that tends to produce 
uniform poverty, and to perpetuate a 
degraded condition in society, is con- 
trary to the genius of Christianity. 
They were wrong (1.) in making this a 
general maxim by which to judge of 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



187 



every thing in religion; (2.) in so ap- 
plying it as to produce insubordina- 
tion and discontent in the minds of 
servants toward their masters; and 
(3.) in supposing that every thing which 
produces gain Is consistent with re- 
ligion, or that men can infallibly judge 
of the moral quality of any course of 
life by its contributing to outward 
prosperity. Religion will uniformly 
lead to that which conduces to pros- 
perity, but it does not follow that ev- 
ery way of making money is therefore 
apart of piety. It is possible, also, that 
in some way they hoped for " gain" to 
themselves by inculcating those prin- 
ciples. It may be remarked here, that 
this is not an uncommon maxim prac- 
tically among men — that u gain is god- 
liness." The whole object of life with 
them is to make money ; the rule by 
which they judge of every thing is by 
its tendency to produce gain ; and all 
their religion may be summed up in 
this, that^e?/ live for gain. Wealth is 
the real object of pursuit; but it is 
often with them cloaked under the 
pretense of piety. They have no more 
religion than they suppose will con- 
tribute to this object; they judge of 
the nature and value of every maxim 
by its tendency to make men prosper- 
ous in their worldly business ; they 
have as much religion as they suppose 
will promote their pecuniary inter- 
est, and they sacrifice every princi- 
ple which they suppose would con- 
flict with their earthly advancement. 
IT From such withdraw thyself. That 
is, have no communion or fellowship 
with them. Do not recognize them 
as religious teachers ; do not counte- 
nance their views. Timothy was in no 
way to show that he regarded them as 
inculcating truth, or to patronize their 
doctrines. From such men, as having 
any claim to the character of Chris- 
tians, every man should withdraw with 
feelings of unutterable pity and loath- 
ing. This passage (ver. 1-5) is often ap- 
pealed to by the advocates and apolo- 
gists for slavery, to prove tttat Chris- 
tianity countenances that institution, 
and that no direct attempt should be 
made by the ministers of the Gospel, 
or other Christians, to show the evil 
of the system, and to promote its abo- 
lition, and to prove that we have no 
right to interfere in any way with 
what pertains to these "domestic re- 
lations." It is of importance, there- 
fore, in view of the exposition which 



| has been given of the words and 
phrases in the passage, to sum up the 

; truths which it inculcates. From it, 

j therefore, the following lessons may 
be derived: (1.) That those who are 

j slaves, and who have been converted 
to Christianity, should not be indolent 
or disorderly. If their masters are 

i Christians, they should treat them 
with respect, and all the more so be- 

I cause they are fellow-heirs of the grace 

I of life. If they are not Christians, they 
should yet show the nature of religion 
on themselves, and bear the evils of their 
condition with patience — showing 
how religion teaches its friends and 
possessors to endure wrong. In ei- 
ther case, they are to be quiet, indus- 
trious, kind, meek, respectful. This 
Christianity every where enjoins while 
the relation continues. At the same 
time, however, it does not forbid the 
slave earnestly to desire his freedom, 
or to use all proper measures to ob- 
tain it. See 1 Cor. vii. 21. (2.) That 
the ministers of religion should not 
labor to produce a spirit of discontent 
among slaves, or excite them to rise 
upon their masters. This passage 

I would undoubtedly forbid all such in- 
terference, and all agencies or embas- 

I sies sent among slaves themselves to in- 
flame their minds against their mas- 
ters in view of their wrongs ; to put 
arms into their hands ; or to induce 
them to form combinations for pur- 
poses of insurrection. The true spirit 
of Christianity does not require us so 
much to go to those who are wronged 

I as to those who do the wrong. The 

! primary message in such cases is to 
the latter ; and when it does go to the 
former, it is to teach them to be pa- 
tient under their wrongs, to evince 
the Christian spirit there, and to make 
use only of those means which are 

j consistent with the Gospel to free 

I themselves from the evils under which 
they suffer. At the same time, noth- 
ing in this passage, or in any other 
part of the New Testament, forbids us 
to go to the master himself and to show 
him the evil of the system, and to en- 
join upon him to let the oppressed go 
free. Nothing in this passage can be 
reasonably construed as teaching that 
an appeal of the most earnest and ur- 
gent kind may not be made to him ; 

,or that the wrongs of the system may 
not be fully set before him ; or that 
any man or set of men may not law- 
fully lift up in his hearing a loud and 



188 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



6 But godliness a with content- 
ment is great gain. 

7 For we brought nothing into 

a Prov. 15. 16. 

earnest voice in favor of the freedom 
of all. And in like manner, there is 
nothing which makes it improper that 
the slave himself should be put fully 
in possession of that Gospel which 
will apprize him of his rights as a man, 
and as redeemed by the blood of Jesus. 
Every human being, whether held in 
bondage or not, has a right to be made 
acquainted with all the provisions and 
truths of that Gospel, nor has any man 
or class of men a right to withhold 
such knowledge from him. No system 
of things can be right which contem- 
plates that that Gospel shall be with- 
held, or under which it is necessary to 
withhold it in order to the perpetuity 
of the system. (3. ) The passage teaches 
that it is possible that a man who is a 
slaveholder may become a Christian. 
But it does not teach that, though he 
may become a Christian while he is a 
slaveholder, that it is proper for him 
to continue this relation after he be- 
comes such. It does not teach that a 
man can be a Christian and yet go 
into the business of buying and sell- 
ing slaves. It does not teach that a 
man can be a Christian and continue to 
hold others in bondage — whatever 
may be true on that point. It does 
not teach that he ought to be consid- 
ered as maintaining a "good stand- 
ing" in the Church if he continues to 
be a slaveholder; and whatever may 
be the truth on these points, this pas- 
sage should not be adduced as demon- 
strating them. It settles one point 
only in regard to these questions — that 
a case is supposable in which a slave 
has a Christian master. It settles the 
duty of the slave in such a case ; it says 
nothing about the duty of the master. 
(4.) This passage does not teach that 
slavery is either a good thing, or a just 
thing, or a desirable relation in life, or 
an institution that God wishes to be 
perpetuated, on the earth. The injunc- 
tions to slaves to be patient, meek, in- 
dustrious, and respectful, no more de- 
monstrate this than the command to 
subjects to be obedient to the laws 
proves that God regarded the govern- 
ment of Nero as such an administra- 
tion as he wished to be perpetuated 
on the earth. To exhort a slave to 
manifest a Christian spirit under his 



this world, and it is certain h we 
can carry nothing out. 
8 And having food and rai- 

6Psa. 49.17. 

oppressions and wrongs, is not to jus- 
tify the system that does him wrong, 
nor does it prohibit us from showing 
to masters that the system is contrary 
to the Gospel, and that it ought to be 
abandoned. (5.) This passage, there- 
fore, furnishes no real support for 
slavery. It can no more be adduced 
in favor of it than any exhortation to 
those who are oppressed, or in any 
degrading situation in life, to be pa- 
tient, proves that the system which 
oppresses and degrades them is a good 
one. Nor does the fact that a man 
may be converted who is a slaveholder, 
and may be spoken of as a ttlcttos, or 
believer, prove that it would be right 
and desirable that he should continue 
that relation, any more than the fact 
that Saul of Tarsus became a Christian 
when engaged in persecution proves 
that it would have been right for him 
to continue in that business, or than 
the conversion of the Ephesians who 
" used curious arts" (Acts xix. 19) 
proved that it would have been prop- 
er for them to continue in that em- 
ployment. Men who are doing wrong 
are converted in order to turn them 
from that course of life, not to justify 
them in it. 

6. Bu t godlin ess. Pi e ty ; religion. 
The meaning is, that real religion 
should be regarded as the greatest and 
most valuable acquisition. If With 
conte?itment. This word, as now used, 
refers to a .state of mind; a calm and 
satisfied feeling; freedom from mur- 
muring and complaining. The idea 
is, that 44 piety, connected with a con- 
tented mind— or a mind acquiescing 
in the allotments of life — is to be re- 
garded as the real gain. ' ' Tindal gives 
substantially the same interpretation : 
u Godliness is great riches, if a man be 
content with that he hath." Cover- 
dale : 44 Howbeit, it is of great advan- 
tage, who is so godly, and holdeth him 
content with that he hath." The 
word which is used here — avrapicua — 
means, properly, self sufficiency, and is 
used here, in a good sense, to denote 
a mind satisfied with its lot. If there 
be true religion, united with its prop- 
er accompaniment, peace of mind, it 
is to be regarded as the true riches. 
The object of the apostle seems to be 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



189 



ment, let us be therewith con- 
tents 

a Gen. 28. 20. 



9 But they that will 6 be rich, fall 
into temptation, and a snare, and 



to rebuke those who supposed that 
property constitutes every thing that 
is worth living for. He tells them, 
therefore, that the true gain, the real 
riches which we ought to seek, is re- 
ligion, with a contented mind. This 
does more to promote happiness than 
wealth can ever do, and this is what 
should be regarded as the great object 
of life. 

7. For we brought nothing into this 
icorld, etc. A sentiment very similar 
to this occurs in J ob i. 21, and it would 
seem probable that the apostle had 
that passage in his eye. See Notes on 
that passage. Numerous expressions 
of this kind occur in the classic writers. 
See Wetstein, in loc, and Pricseus, in 
loc, in the Critici Sacyn. Of the truth 
of what is here said there can be no 
difference of opinion. It is apparent 
to all. We bring no property with us 
into the world — no clothing, no jew- 
els, no gold — and it is equally clear 
that we take nothing with us when 
we leave the earth. Our coming into 
the world brings no property into the 
world in addition to that which- the 
race before possessed, and our going 
from the world removes none that we 
may have helped the race to accumu- 
late. This is said by the apostle as an 
obvious reason why we should be con- 
tented if our actual wants are supplied 
— for this is really all that we need, 
and all that the world is toiling for. 
1" We can carry nothing out. Comp. Psa. 
xlix. 17. " For when he [the rich man] 
dieth, he shall carry nothing away; his 
glory shall not descend after him." 

8. And having food and raiment. 
" Food and raiment," here, seem to be 
used to denote the supplies of our 
wants in general. It is not uncom- 
mon to denote the whole by a part, 
and as these are the principal things 
which we really need, and without 
which life could not be sustained, the 
apostle uses the phrase to denote all 
that is really necessary for us. We 
can not suppose that he would forbid 
the desire of a comfortable habitation, 
or of the means of knowledge, or of 
conveniences for worshiping God, 
etc. The idea is, that, having those 
things which meet the actual necessi- 
ties of our nature and save us from 
distress, we should not strive after 



| "uncertain riches," or make wealth 
the object of our anxious pursuit. 
Comp. Notes on Phil. iv. 11, 12. 

9. But they that will be rich. Further 
to enforce the duty of contentment, 
the apostle refers to some of the evils 
which necessarily attend a desire to be 
rich. Those evils have been so great 
and uniform in all ages, and are such 
necessary accompaniments of that de- 
sire, that, even amidst many incon- 
veniences which may attend the op- 
posite condition, we should be con- 
tented with our lot. Indeed, if we 
could see all, it would only be neces- 
sary to see the evils which the desire 
of wealth produces in the world to 
make us contented with a most lowly 
condition of life. Perhaps nothing 
more would be necessary to make a 
poor man satisfied with his lot, and 
grateful for it, than to be acquainted 
with the perplexities and cares of a 
rich man. There is more emphasis to 
be placed on the word will, here, in the 
phrase \vMl be rich,' than might be 
supposed from our translation. It is 
not the sign of the future tense, but 
implies an actual purpose or design to 
become rich — oi (3 ov\6/ulevol— they will- 
ing, or purposing. The reference is to 
those in whom this becomes an object 
of earnest desire, and who lay their 
plans for it. ^ Fall into temptation. 

\ That is, they are tempted to do wick- 
ed things in order to accomplish their 

I purposes. It is extremely difficult to 
cherish the desire to be rich, -as the 

| leading purpose of the soul, and to be 

I an honest man. ^And a snare. Birds 
are taken in a snare, and wild beasts 
were formerly. See Notes on Job 
xviii. 8, 9. The net was sprung sud- 
denly upon them, and they could not 

! escape. The idea here is, that they 
who have this desire become so eu- 

I tangled that they can not easily es- 
cape. They become involved in the 

j meshes of worldliness and sin ; their 

I movements are so fettered by cares, 
and inordinate desires, and artificial 
wants, that they are no longer free- 
men. They become so involved in 
these things that they can not break 
away from them if they would. Comp. 
Prov. xxviii. 20. *fi And into many fool- 
ish and hurtful lusts. Desires, such as 
the love of wealth creates. They are 



190 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



into many foolish and hurtful lusts, 
which drown men in destruction 
and perdition. 
10 For a the love of money is the 

a Exod. 23. 8. 

foolish — as being not such as an intel- 
ligent and immortal being should pur- 
sue; and they are hurtful — as being 
injurious to morals, to health, and to 
the soul. Among those desires are 
the fondness for display ; for a mag- 
nificent dwelling, a train of menials, 
and a splendid equipage; for sumptu- 
ous living, feasting, the social glass, 
company, and riotous dissipation. 
^ Which drown men in destruction and 
perdition. The word which is here 
rendered drown — fivSL^w — means, to 
sink in the deep, or, to cause to sink; 
and the meaning here is, that they be- 
come submerged as a ship that sinks. 
The idea of drowning is not, properly, 
exactly the meaning of the language, 
but the image is that of a wreck, where 
a ship and all that is in it go down to- 
gether. The destruction is complete. 
There is a total ruin of happiness, of 
virtue, of reputation, and of the soul. 
The ruling desire to be rich leads on a 
train of follies which ruin every thing 
here and hereafter. How many of 
the human family have thus been de- 
stroyed! 

10. For the love of money is the root of 
all evil. That is, of all kinds of evil. 
This is evidently not to be understood 
as literally true, for there are evils 
which can not be traced to the love 
of money— the evils growing out of 
ambition, intemperance, debasing 
lusts, and the hatred of God. The ex- 
pression here is evidently a popular 
saying — "all sorts of evils grow out of 
the love of money." Similar expres- 
sions often occur in the classic writ- 
ers. See Wetstein, in 16c, and numer- 
ous examples quoted by Pricaeus. Of 
the truth of this no one can doubt. 
No small part of the crimes of the 
world can be traced to the love of 
gold. But it deserves to be remarked 
here that the apostle does not say that 
u money is the root of all evil," or that 
it is an evil at all. It is the " love" of 
it wiiich is the source of evil. Tj Which 
while some coveted after. That is, some 
who were professing Christians. The 
apostle is doubtless referring to per- 
sons whose history was known to Tim- 
othy, and warning him, and teaching 
him to warn others by their example. 



root of all evil ; which while some 
coveted after, they have 1 erred from 
the faith, and pierced themselves 
through with many sorrows. 

I been seduced. 

H They have erred from the faith. Marg. , 
been seduced. The Greek is, they have 
been led astray from; that is, they 
have been so deceived as to depart 
from the faith. The notion of decep- 
tion or delusion is in the- word, and the 
sense is, that, deceived by the prom- 
ises held out by the prospect of wealth, 
they have apostatized from the faith. 
It is not implied of necessity that they 
were ever real Christians. They have 
been led off from truth and duty, and 
from all the hopes and joys which re- 
ligion would have imparted. \ And 
have pierced themselves through with 
many sorrows. With such sorrows as 
remorse, and painful reflections on 
their folly, and the apprehension of 
future wrath. Too late they see that 
they have thrown away the hopes of 
religion for that which is at best un- 
worthy the pursuit of an immortal 
mind ; which leads them on to a life 
of wickedness ; which fails of impart- 
ing what it promised when its pursuit 
is successful, and which, in the ^reat 
majority of instances, disappoiffts its 
votaries in respect to its attainment. 
The word rendered u pierced them- 
selves through" — TrtpLtTTELpav— -occurs 
nowhere else in the New Testament, 
and is a word w 7 hose force and em- 
phasis can not be well expressed in a 
translation. It is from irzipw, peiro, 
and is made more emphatic by the ad- 
dition of the preposition irept,, peri. 
The word ttel pw, peiro, means, proper- 
ly, to pierce through from one end to an- 
other, and is applied to meat that is 
pierced through by the spit when it is 
to be roasted (Passow); then it means 
to pierce through and through. The 
addition of the preposition {irepC) to 
the word, conveys the idea of doing 
this all round ; of piercing every 
where. It was not a single thrust 
which was made, but they are gashed 
all round with penetrating wounds. 
Such jis the effect on those who cast 
off religion for the sake of gold. None 
can avoid these consequences who do 
this. Every man is in the hands of a 
holy and just God, and sooner or later 
he must feel the effects of his sin and 
folly. 

11. But thou, man of God, flee these 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



191 



11 But thou, O man a of God, flee 
these things; and follow after 
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, 
l^atience, meekness. 

12 Fight b the good fight of faith, 
lay hold on eternal life, whereunto 

aDeut.33. 1. b 2 Tim. #.7. c Heb. 13. 23. 

things. These allurements of wealth, 
and these sad consequences which the 
love of gold produces. *j[ But follow 
after righteousness, etc. Make these the 
grand object of your pursuit. On the 
virtues here enumerated, see Notes on 
Gal. v. 22, 23. 

12. Fight the good fight of faith. The 
noble conflict in the cause of religion. 
See Notes on Eph. vi. 10-17. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. The allu- 
sion is to the contests at the Grecian 
games. H Lay hold on eternal life. As 
the crown of victory that is held out 
to you." Seize this as eagerly as the 
competitors at the Grecian games laid 
hold on the prize. See Notes on 1 Cor. 
ix. 25. U Whereunto thou art also called. 
That is, by the Spirit of God, and by 
the very nature of your profession. 
God does not "call" his people that 
they may become rich ; he does not 
convert them in order that they may 
devote themselves to the business of 
gain. They are "called" to a higher 
and nobler work. Yet how many pro- 
fessing Christians there are who seem 
to live as if God had "called" them to 
the special business of making money, 
and who devote.themselves to it with 
a zeal and assiduity that would do 
honor to such a calling, if this had 
been the grand object which God had 
in view in converting them! 1 And 
hast professed a good iwofession before 
many witnesses. That is, either when 
he embraced the Christian religion, 
and made a public profession of it in 
the presence of the Church and of the 
world ; or when he was solemnly set 
apart to the ministry ; or as he in his 
Christian life had been enabled to do 
by publicly evincing in duty and in 
trial his attachment to the Saviour. 
I see no reason to doubt that the apos- 
tle may have referred to the former, 
and that in early times a profession of 
religion may have been openly made 
before the Church and the world. 
Such a method of admitting members 
to the Church would have been natu- 
ral, and would have been fitted to make 
a deep impression on others. It is a 



thou art also called, and hast pro- 
fessed^ good profession before 
many witnesses. 

131 give thee charge d in the sight 
of God, who quickeneth all things, 
and lefore Christ Jesus, who e be-, 

dc.5. 21. e John 18.36,37. 

goofcthing often to remind professors 
of religion of the feelings which they 
had when they made a profession of 
religion ; of the fact that the transac- 
tion was witnessed by the world ; and 
of the promises which they then made 
to lead holy lives. One of the best 
ways of stimulating ourselves or oth- 
ers to the faithful performance of 
duty, is the remembrance of the vows 
then made ; and one of the most ef- 
fectual methods of reclaiming a back- 
slider is to bring to his recollection 
that solemn hour when he publicly 
gave himself to God. 

13. 1 give thee charge in the sight of 
God. See Notes on ch. v. 21. if Who 
quickeneth all things. Who gives life 
to all. See Notes on Eph. ii. 1. It is 
not quite clear why the apostle refers 
to this attribute of God as enforcing 
the charge which he here makes. Per- 
haps he means to say that God is the 
source of life, and that as he had given 
life to Timothy — natural and spiritual 
— he had a right to require that it 
should be employed in his service; 
and that if, in obedience to this charge 
and in the performance of his duties, 
he should be required to lay down his 
life, he should bear in remembrance 
that God had power to raise him up 
again. This is more distinctly urged 
in 2 Tim. ii. 8-10. And before Christ 
Jesus. As in the presence of Christ, 
and stimulated by his example. ^[ Who 
before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good 
confession. Marg. , p r ofe ssion. Th e 
same Greek word is used which in ver. 
12 is translated profession. The refer- 
ence is to the fact that the Lord Jesus, 
when standing at the bar of Pilate, who 
claimed to have power over his life, 
did not shrink from an open avowal 
of the truth. John xviii. 36, 37. Noth- 
ing can be better fitted to preserve 
our minds steadfast in the faith, and 
to enable us to maintain our sacred 
vows in this world when allured by 
temptation, or when ridiculed for our 
religion, than to remember the exam- 
ple'of the Lord Jesus. Let us place 
him before us as he stood at the bar 



192 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



fore Pontius Pilate witnessed a 
good 1 confession ; 

14 That thou keep this command- 
ment without spot, unrebukable, a 
until the appearing h of our Lord 
Jesus Christ : 

15 Which in his times he shall 

1 profession. a Phil ^^-15. 

b 1 Thess. 5. 23. c c. l.WT 



of Pilate — threatened with death in its 
most appalling form, and ridiculed for 
the principles which he maintained; 
let us look on him, friendless and 
alone, and see with what seriousness, 
sincerity, and boldness he stated the 
simple truth about himself, and we shall 
have one of the best securities that we 
can have that we shall not dishonor 
our profession. A clear view of the ex- 
ample of Christ our Saviour in those cir- 
cumstances, and a deep conviction that 
his eye is upon us to discern whether 
we are steadfast as he was, will do more 
than all abstract precepts to make us 
faithful to our Christian calling. 

14. That thou keep this commandment. 
Referring particularly to the solemn 
iniunction which he had }ust given 
him, to " fight the good fight of faith," 
but perhaps also including all that he 
had enjoined on him. ^ Without spot. 
It seems harsh, and is unusual, to ap- 
ply the epithet "without spot" — a<rni- 
Xos — to a command or doctrine, and 
the passage may be so construed that 
this may be understood as referring to 
Timothy himself— u That thou keep 
the commandment so that thou may- 
est be without spot and unrebukable." 
See Bloomfield, Crit. Dig., in loc. The 
word here rendered "without spot" 
occurs in the New Testament only 
here, and in James i. 27 ; 1 Pet. i. 19 ; 
2 Pet. iii. 14. It means without any 
stain or blemish; pure. If applied here 
to Timothy, it means that he should 
so keep the command that there 
would be no stain on his moral char- 
acter; if to the doctrine, that that 
should be kept pure. ^ Unrebukable. 
So that there shall be no occasion for 
reproach or reproof. See Notes on 
Phil. ii. 15. T[ Until the appearing of 
our Lord Jesus Christ. See Notes on 
1 Thess. ii. 19; iv. 16; v. 23. 

15. Which in his times he shall show. 
Which God will reveal at such times 
as he shall deem best. It is implied 
here that the time is unknown to 
men. See Notes on Acts i. 7. If Who 



show who is the blessed c and only 
Potentate, the d King of kings and 
Lord of lords ; 

16 Who only hath immortality, 
dwelling in the light which 6 no 
man can approach unto; whom^ 
no man hath seen nor can see ; to 

d Rev. 17. 14. e Rev. 1. 16, 17. 

/Exod.33.20. 

is the blessed and only Potentate. God, 
who is the ruler over all. The word 
used here — Swda-Tt}^ — means one who 
is mighty (Luke i. 22), then a prince or 
ruler. Comp. Acts viii. 27. It is ap- 
plied here to God as the mighty ruler 
over the universe. The King of kings. 
Who claims dominion over all the 
kings of the earth. In Kev. vii. 14, the 
same appellation is applied to the 
Lord J esus, ascribing to him universal 
dominion. \ Lord of lords. The idea 
here is, that all the sovereigns of the 
earth are under his sway ; that none 
of them can prevent the accomplish- 
ment of his purposes ; and that he can 
direct the winding up of human affairs 
when he pleases. 

16. Who only hath immortality. The 
word h ere — aZravaaia — properly 
means exemption from death, and seems 
to mean that God, in his own nature, 
enjoys a perfect and certain exemption 
from death. Creatures have immor- 
tality only as they derive it from him, 
and of course are dependent on him 
for it. He has it by his very nature, 
and it is in his case underived, and he 
can not be deprived of it. It is one of 
the essential attributes of his being 
that he will always exist, and that 
death can not reach him. Comp. the 
expression in John v. 26, "The Father 
hath life in himself," and the Notes 
on that passage. If Dwelling in the light 
tvhich no man can approach unto. Gr., 
"Inhabiting inapproachable light." 
The light where he dwells is so bril- 
liant and dazzling that mortal eyes 
could not endure it. This is a very 
common representation of the dwell- 
ing-place of God. See examples 
quoted in Pricaeus, in loc. Heaven is 
constantly represented as a place of 
the most pure and brilliant light, need- 
ing not the light of the sun, or the 
moon, or the stars (Rev. xxi. 23, 24 ; 
xxii. 5), and God is represented as 
dwelling in that light, surrounded by 
amazing and inapproachable glory. 
Comp. Rev. iv. 6 ; Ezek. i. 4 ; Heb. i. 3. 



A.D. 58.] 



CHAPTER VI. 



193 



whom a he honour and power ever- 
lasting. Amen. 

17 Charge them that are rich in 
this world, that they be not high- 
minded, nor trust 6 in 1 uncertain 

aJude25. 2 Rev. 1. 6. fcPsa.62.10. 

Whom no man hath seen no?' can see. 
See Notes on John i. 18. Tf To whom 
be honor a?id power everlasting. Amen. 
See Notes on Rom. xi. 36. 

17. Charge them that are rich in this 
world, that they be not high-minded. 
One of the evils to which they are par- 
ticularly exposed. The idea is, that 
they should not value themselves on 
account of their wealth, or look down 
with pride and arrogance on their in- 
feriors. They should not suppose that 
they are any better men, or any nearer 
heaven, because they are wealthy. 
Property really makes" no distinction 
in the great things that pertain to char- 
acter and salvation. It does not nec- 
essarily make a man wise, or learned, 
or great, or good. In all these things, 
he who has not wealth may be vastly 
superior to him who has ; and for so 
slight and unimportant a distinction 
as gold can confer, no man should be 
proud. Besides, let such a man reflect 
that his property is the gift of God ; 
that he is made rich because God has 
chosen to arrange things so that he 
should be; that it is not primarily 
owing to any skill or wisdom of his 
own ; that his property only increases 
his responsibility, and that it must 
all soon be left, and he be as poor as 
the "beggar that lies at his gate;" 
and he will see ample reason why he 
should not be proud. ^ Nor trust in 
uncertain riches. Marg., the uncertain- 
ty of. The margin expresses the 
meaning of the Greek more accurate- 
ly than the text, but the sense is not 
materially varied. Riches are uncer- 
tain because they may soon be taken 
away. No dependence can be placed 
on them in the emergencies of life. 
He w T ho is rich to-day has no secu- 
rity that he will be to-morrow ; and 
if he shall be rich to-morrow, he has 
no certainty that his riches will meet 
his necessities then. A man whose 
house is in flames, or who is ship- 
wrecked, or whose child lies dying, 
or who is himself in the agonies of 
death, can derive no advantage from 
the fact that he is richer than other 
men. See Notes on Luke xii. 16-21. 
I 



riches, but in the living God, who 
giveth us richly all things to en- 
joy ; c 

18 That they do good, that they 
be rich in good works, ready to 

1 the uncertainty of. c Eccl. 5. 18, 19. 

That against which Paul here directs 
Timothy to caution the rich, is what 
they are most exposed to. A man 
who is rich is very liable to "trust" 
in his riches, and to suppose that he 
needs nothing more. Comp. Luke 
xii. 19. He feels that he is not de- 
pendent on his fellow-men, and he is 
very likely to feel that he is not de- 
pendent on God. It is for this cause 
that God has recorded so many solemn 
declarations in his Word respecting 
the instability of riches (comp. Prov. 
xxiii. 5), and that he is furnishing so 
many instructive lessons in his prov- 
idence, showing how easily riches may 
suddenly vanish away. ^ But in the 
living Ood. (1.) He is able to supply 
all our necessities, and to do for us 
what riches can not do; and (2.) he 
• never changes, or leaves those who 
put their trust in him. He is able to 
meet our wants if in the flames, or in 
a storm at sea, or when a friend dies, 
or when we lie on a bed of death, or 
wherever we may be in the eternal 
w r orld. % Who giveth us richly all tilings 
to enjoy. The meaning of this seems 
to be, that God permits us to enjoy 
every thing. Every thing in the works 
of creation and redemption he has 
given to man for his happiness, and 
he should therefore trust in him. He 
has not merely given wealth for the 
comfort of men, but he has given every 
thing ; and he on whom so many and 
so great blessings have been bestowed 
for his comfort, should trust in the 
great Benefactor himself, and not rely 
merely^ on one of his gifts. Comp. 
NotesTn 1 Cor. iii. 21-23. 

18. That they do good. On the duty 
enjoined in this verse, see Notes on 
Gal. vi. 10; Heb. xiii. 16. % That they 
be rich in good works. "That their 
good works may be as abundant as 
their riches." ^ Ready to distribute. 
To divide with others. Comp. Acts 
iv. 34. The meaning is, that they 
should be liberal, or bountiful. IT Will- 
ing to communicate. Marg. , or, sociable. 
The translation in the text is a more 
correct rendering of the Greek. The* 
idea is, that they should be willing to 



194 



I. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 58. 



distribute, willing 1 to communi- 
cate ; 

19 Laying up in store for them- 
selves a good foundation against 
the time to come, that they may 
lay a hold on eternal life. 

20 O Timothy, keep that which 
is committed to thy trust, avoiding 
h profane and vain babblings, and 

1 or, sociable. a Phil. 3. 14. 

share their blessings with others, so 
as to make others comfortable. See 
Notes on Heb. xiii. 16. Comp. the ar- 
gument of Paul in 2 Cor. viii. 13-15, 
and the Notes on that passage. 

19. Laying up in store for themselves, 
etc. The meaning of this verse is, 
that they were to make such a use of 
their property that it would contrib- 
ute to their eternal welfare. It might 
be the means of exalted happiness and 
honor in heaven, if they would so use 
it as not to interfere with religion in 
the soul, and so as to do the most good 
possible. See the sentiment in this 
verse explained at length in the Notes 
on Luke xvi. 9. 

20. Keep that which is committed to thy 
trust. All that is intrusted to you, and 
to which reference has been particu- 
larly made in this epistle. The honor 
of the Gospel, and the interests of re- 
ligion, had been specially committed 
to him ; and he was sacredly to guard 
this holy trust, and not to suffer it to 
be wrested from him. *h Avoiding pro- 
fane and vain babblings. Gr., "Pro- 
fane, empty words." The reference 
is to such controversies and doctrines 
as tended only to produce strife, and 
were not adapted to promote the edi- 
fication of the Church. See Notes on 
chap. i. 4 ; iv. 7. H And oppositions of 
science falsely so called. Religion has 
nothing to fear from true science, and 



oppositions of science falsely so 
called : 

21 Which some professing have c 
erred concerning the faith. Grace 
l>e with thee. Amen. 

The first to Timothy was writ- 
ten from Laodicea, which is 
the chiefest city of Phrygia 
Pacatiana. 

b Tit. 1.14. c 2 Tim. 2. 18. 

the minister of the Gospel is not ex- 
horted to dread that. Real science, 
in all its advances, contributes to the 
support of religion ; and just in pro- 
portion as that is promoted will it be 
found to sustain the Bible, and to con- 
firm the claims of religion to the faith 
of mankind. See this illustrated at 
length in Wiseman's lectures on the 
connection between science and relig- 
ion. It is only false or pretended sci- 
ence that religion has to dread, and 
which the friend of Christianity is to 
avoid. The meaning here is, that Tim- 
othy was to avoid every thing which 
falsely laid claim to being u knowl- 
edge" or " science." There was much 
of this in the world at the time the 
apostle wrote ; and this, more perhaps 
than any thing else, has tended to cor- 
rupt true religion since. 

21. Which some professing, Evidently 
some who professed to be true Chris- 
tians. They were attracted by false phi- 
losophy, and soon, as a consequence, 
were led to deny the doctrines of 
Christianity. This result has not been 
uncommon in the world. ^Have erred 
concerning the faith. See Notes on ch. 
i. 6, 7; vi. 10. f Grace be with thee. 
See Notes on Rom. i. 7. 

On the subscription at the close of 
this epistle, see Introd., § 2. It is, like 
the other subscriptions at the close 
of the epistles, of no authority. 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



INTKODUCTION. 



§ 1. Time and Place of writing the Epistle. 

There lias been much diversity of sentiment on the question when 
this epistle was written. That it was written at Rome, and when the 
apostle was imprisoned there, is the unanimous opinion of all w T ho have 
written on the epistle, and indeed is apparent on the face of it. See • 
chap. i. 8, 16 ; iv. 6. But whether it was written during his first impris- 
onment there, or during a second imprisonment, is a question on which 
critics even now are by no means agreed. The most respectable names 
may be found on each side of this question, though the common opin- 
ion has been that it was during a second imprisonment. Of this 
opinion are Mosheim, Michaelis, Benson, Mill, Macknight, Leclerc, 
Paley, Stuart, Clarke, and Doddridge. The reasons for this may be 
seen at length in Hug's Introduction, p. 761-763, Macknight, and 
in Paley's Horce Paidince. Dr. Lardner, Baronius, Witsius, Lightfoot, 
Hammond, Hug, Hemsen, and others, maintain that it w T as written 
during the first imprisonment, and that it was sent about the same 
time as the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Phil- 
emon. The reasons for this opinion may be found in Hug's Introduc- 
tion, p. 556-559, and in Lardner, vol. vi.,p. 38-72. It is not consist- 
ent with the designs of these Notes to go at length into an examina- 
tion of this question, and it is not material in order to an exposition 
of the epistle. 

After considering the reasonings of Lardner and Hug to prove that 
this epistle was written during Paul's first imprisonment at Rome — 
that is, as they suppose, during his only imprisonment there, and not 
long after the first epistle was written — it still seems to me that there 
are insuperable difficulties in such a view, and that the evidence is 
clear that it was during a second imprisonment. The reasons for 
this are briefly the following : 

(10 In the epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, written dur- 
ing his first imprisonment, Paul confidently looked forward to a re- 
lease, and to a speedy departure from Rome. In this epistle he had 
no such expectation. Thus, he tells the Philippians (ii. 24), " I trust 
in the Lord, that I myself shall come shortly." See also chap. i. 24. In 
the epistle to Philemon (ver. 22) he says, " But withal prepare me also 
a lodging : for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto 
you." In this epistle, however, the author had no such trust or antic- 
ipation. Chap. iv. 6. " For I am now ready to be offered, and the time 
of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finish- 
ed my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me 
a crown of righteousness." 



cxcviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



(2.) In chap, iv, 16 the apostle uses the following language : "At my 
first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me." It is 
true that this may refer to a hearing which he had had before Nero 
during the same imprisonment at Rome in which this second epistle 
was written ; but the most natural interpretation is to suppose that he 
had had one hearing, and had been discharged, and that the imprison- 
ment of which he speaks in this epistle was a second one. This seems 
to me to be confirmed by what he says in the next verse : " Notwith- 
standing, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me 
the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might 
hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." Here it ap- 
pears (a) that he had been delivered, on that occasion, from death — 
" I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion," which is equivalent to 
saying that he was discharged; (b) that after that discharge he was 
permitted to preach the Gospel — u that by me the preaching might be 
fully known;" (c) that he had been permitted after that to travel and 
preach — -"and that all the Gentiles might hear," which is just such an 
expression as he would use on the supposition that he had been dis- 
charged, and been permitted to go abroad and preach the Gospel ex- 
tensively, and is not such an expression as he could have used if he 
had been imprisoned but once. 

(3.) The expression occurring in chap. iy. 20, "Erastus abode at Cor- 
inth," implies that he had made a second journey to Rome. The word 
rendered "abode" — tpztvev — is such as would be used where two were 
traveling together, and where one of them chose to remain at a certain 
place. It implies that, at the time referred to, the two were together, 
and that one chose to go on, and the other to remain. But it is ca- 
pable of very clear proof that, when Paul was sent to Rome by Festus 
(Acts xxvi. xxvii.), he did not stop at Corinth; and if Erastus had 
been with him then, he would have passed by that place with him on 
his way to Rome. Further, when Paul left Corinth, as related in Acts 
xx., on his way to Jerusalem, Timothy was with him. This is the last 
time that Paul is mentioned as having been at Corinth before coming 
to Rome, and there could have been no need of informing Timothy 
of the fact that Erastus remained there, if this were so, because that 
fact would be as well known to Timothy as to Paul. Besides, that 
departure from Corinth took place some five years before Paul wrote 
this second epistle to Timothy; and what would be the use of his re- 
minding Timothy of this after so long an interval? It is clear, more- 
over, that Paul refers to some recent transaction. He is urging Timo- 
thy to use all diligence to come to him before winter; that is, as soon 
as possible. Chap. iv. 21. But how could it be a reason for this urgen- 
cy to say that, some Jive years before, he had been forsaken by one fel- 
low-laborer, and had been obliged to leave another one sick on the 
way? ■ 

(4.) Similar remarks may be made respecting what Paul says in the 
close of the same verse (chap. iv. 20) : " Trophimus have I left at Mile- 
turn sick." Paul, when sent by Festus to Rome, did not stop at Mile- 
tus ; for the course which the ship took on that occasion is minutely 
described (Acts xxvii.), and there is every certainty that there can be 
that it did not put in at that place. The time, then, to which Paul 



INTRODUCTION. 



cxcix 



must refer here, unless lie made a second journey to Rome after he 
had been once discharged, must have been several years before : cer- 
tainly as far back as when he took leave of the elders of the church 
of Ephesus, as recorded in Acts xx. But this was about five years be- 
fore ; and what would have been the pertinency of informing Timo- 
thy that, some five years before, he had left a fellow-laborer sick there, 
as a reason why he should then hasten to Rome as soon as possible? 
It was evidently a recent occurrence to which the apostle refers here; 
and the only natural supposition is that, not long before his arrival at 
Rome, he had parted with both these friends, and now needed, in con- 
sequence, especially the presence of Timothy. Of course, if this be so, 
Paul must have made another circuit through these countries, of which 
the Acts of the Apostles gives us no account, and which must have 
been after his first imprisonment. It is true that Hug suggests that 
the word rendered "I have left" — cnrk\nrov — may be in the third per- 
son plural, and may be rendered " they have left." But, who left him 
there? "We are not told; and as "nothing is suggested in the con- 
text which would supply us with a subject of the verb in the third 
person plural, we are led naturally to construe it of the first person 
singular, and, consequently, to apply it to Paul." — Prof. Stuart, in Hug's 
Introd. 

(5.) With this supposition of a second and recent journey, agrees 
the passage in 2 Tim. iv. 13, "The cloak which I left at Troas with 
Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but espe- 
cially the parchments." This evident^ refers to some recent affair. 
Can it be believed that these had been there for some five years, and 
that Paul had not needed them before ? He was two years at Csesa- 
rea. He had abundant opportunity of sending for them. An article 
of wearing apparel, or books to study, or his own writings, he would 
be likely to need long before, and it is highly improbable that he 
should have suffered them to remain during this long period without 
sending for them. 

(6.) In the epistles which were written during Paul's first imprison- 
ment, certain persons are referred to as being then with him, who are 
in this epistle mentioned as absent. It is almost beyond a doubt that 
the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 
were written during Paul's first imprisonment at Rome. See the In- 
troduction to those epistles. In the epistle to the Colossians (i. 1), 
Timothy is mentioned as being then with the apostle. When this was 
written, of course he was absent. In the same epistle, Mark is men- 
tioned as with Paul, and unites with him in the salutation to the Co- 
lossians (chap. iv. 10) ; when this epistle was written he was absent, for 
Timothy is ordered to bring him with him (chap. iv. 11). Demas was 
then with him (Col. iv. 14); now he was absent, for Paul says, "Demas 
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed 
unto Thessalonica." Chap. iv. 10. These circumstances make it quite 
clear that the second epistle to Timothy was not written during the 
imprisonment at Rome in which the epistles to the Colossians, to Phil- 
emon, etc., were written, unless a change had taken place in the cir- 
cumstances of the apostle, which we have no reason to suppose occur- 
red. The probability, then, seems to be strong, that the apostle was 



cc 



INTRODUCTION. 



imprisoned there a second time, and that the things referred to in this 
epistle occurred then. 

(7.) To these circumstances should be added the fact that many of 
the fathers say that Paul was liberated from his first imprisonment, 
and afterward traveled extensively in preaching the Gospel. This 
testimony is borne by Eusebius, Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others. 
See Calmet's Dictionary, and Lives of the Apostles, by D. F. Bacon, 
New Haven, p. 619-621. If the supposition of a second imprison- 
ment at Rome, during which this epistle was written, is correct, then 
it was written probably not far from the year 65. Lardner, however, 
who supposes it was written during the first imprisonment, places its 
date in May, A.D. 61 ; Hug, also, in the same year. 

§ 2. The Place where Timothy was when the Epistle was addressed to him. 

There can be little doubt that Timothy was at Ephesus at the time 
when this epistle was addressed to him. The evidence for this opin- 
ion is thus stated by Lightfoot and others : — (1.) Paul directs Timothy 
to salute the household of Onesiphorus, chap. iv. 19. But it is evident, 
from chap. i. 18, that Onesiphorus was anEjjhesian, and, as the direction 
is to salute his "household" it may be argued with the more certainty 
that Timothy was then at Ephesus, the ordinary residence of the fam- 
ily of Onesiphorus. (2.) He directs Timothy to take Troas in the way 
as he came to him at Rome (chap. iv. 13), which was the way that Paul 
had gone to Ephesus (2 Cor. ii. 12; Acts xx. 5), thus showing that this 
was the usual route of trav^ ancl was a way which Timothy would 
naturally take in passing from Ephesus to Rome. It is true that this 
does not absolutely prove that he was at Ephesus, since, if he had been 
in any other part of the western portion of Asia Minor, the direction 
would have been the same, but it is a slight circumstance corroborat- 
ing others. (3.) He warns him to beware of Alexander (chap. iv. 14),who 
we know was an Ephesian. 1 Tim. i. 20 ; Acts xix. 33. (4.) In chap. iv. 
9 he gives direction to Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, 
and then adds (ver. 12), "Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus." From 
this it would seem that one reason why he wished him then to come 
was that he had appointed Tychicus to occupy his place there, so that 
he could leave without injury to the cause. But it would also seem 
probable that Paul was not in the habit of calling away a laborer from 
an important station without supplying his place. Thus, in Titus iii. 
12, he says, " When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be dili- 
gent to come unto me." It may thence be inferred that Timothy was at 
Ephesus at the time when Paul wrote to him, and that he had taken 
care that his place should not be left vacant, by the appointment of 
Tychicus to fill it when he should leave. (5.) It may be added, that 
the errors and vices which Timothy is directed to oppose are the same 
which are referred to in the first epistle, and it may be hence inferred 
that he was at the same place. 

How long Timothy had been in Ephesus is not certainly known, 
and is not material to be known in order to a proper understanding 
of the epistle. It does not appear, from the Acts, that he was with 
Paul during the two years in which he was in Caesarea, nor during his 
voyage to Rome ; yet it is certain that he was in Rome when Paul 



INTRODUCTION. 



cci 



wrote to the Pliilippians, to the Colossians, and to Philemon, because 
he is named in the titles to those epistles. In Heb. xiii. 23 Paul says 
that Timothy was " set at liberty," or, more probably, " sent away " 
(see Notes on that verse), but to what place he had gone is not men- 
tioned. Nothing would be more natural, however, than that he should 
visit Ephesus again, and it is not improbable that Paul would leave him 
there when he again visited Rome. 

§ 3. The Occasion on which the Epistle teas written. 
The epistle was evidently written when the apostle was expecting 
soon to be put to death. Chap. iv. 6-8. The main object of writing it 
seems to have been to request Timothy to come to him as speedily as 
possible. Chap. iv. 9. But, in doing this, it was natural that Paul should 
accompany the request with such counsel as Timothy needed, and such 
as it was proper for him to give in probably the lust letter that he would 
write to him. The particular reason why the apostle desired the pres- 
ence of Timothy seems to have been that nearly all the others on 
whom he might have supposed he could rely in a time of trial had 
left him. Thus he says that Demas had forsaken him ; Crescens had 
gone to Galatia ; Titus to Dalmatia ; and Tychicus he had himself sent 
to Ephesus. Chap. iv. 10-12. No one remained with him but Luke 
(chap. iv. 11), and he was therefore desirous that Timothy and Mark 
should be with him. Chap. iv. 11. He did not ask their presence mere- 
ly that they might sustain him in his trials, but that they might aid 
him in the work of the ministry (ch. iv. 11), for it would seem that all 
hope of doing good in Rome was not closed. 

If the view of the time when this epistle was written which has been 
taken in this introduction is correct, and if this is the last epistle 
which was written by the apostle Paul before his martyrdom, then it 
occupies a very important place in the sacred canon, and is invested 
with great interest. It may be regarded as the dying counsels of the 
most eminent of the apostles to one who had just entered on the min- 
isterial life. We should read it with the interest with which we do the 
last words of the great and the good. Then we feel that every word 
which they utter has a weight which demands attention. We feel that, 
whatever a man might do at other times, he will not trifle then. We 
feel that, having little time to express his wishes, he will select topics 
that lie nearest his heart, and those which he deems most important. 
There is no more interesting position in which we can be placed than 
when we sit down at such a man's feet and listen to his parting coun- 
sels. To a young minister of the Gospel, therefore, this epistle is in- 
valuable ; to any and every Christian it can not fail to be a matter 
of interest to listen to the last words of the great apostle of the Gen- 
tiles, and to ponder his last written testimony in favor of that religion 
to the promulgation of which he had devoted his talents and his life. 

12 



SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TIMOTHY. 



CHAPTER L 

PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ 
by the will of God, according 
to the a promise of life which is in 
Christ Jesus, 

a Eph.3.6. 



CHAPTER I. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

The principal design of this chapter 
is to exhort Timothy to steadfastness 
and fidelity as a Christian and a min- 
ister ; to entreat him to adhere to the 
truth, and to live as became a Chris- 
tian, in the midst of the temptations 
by which he was surrounded, and while 
so many were turning away from the 
Christian faith. Timothy was young ; 
he was exposed, like others, to trials ; 
he could not be unaware that not a few 
had apostatized ; he knew that his fa- 
ther in Christ was in bonds, and he was 
liable to become disheartened, or to be 
led astray. In these circumstances, 
the apostle seems to have resolved to 
place before him strong reasons to in- 
duce him to devote himself steadfast- 
ly to the cause of religion, and not to 
allow those things which might tend 
to alienate him from Christianity to 
have any effect on his mind. After the 
usual salutations, therefore (vs. 1, 2), 
he proceeds to present these consid- 
erations to the mind of Timothy : (1.) 
He commences the chapter with deli- 
cate praise of his young friend — one of 
the most happy methods of inducing 
him to persevere in the course of life 
on which he had entered. Ver. 3-5. 
We naturally desire to perfect that in 
which we already excel; we feel en- 
couraged for future efforts in a cause 
in which we have already been success- 
ful. The apostle, therefore, reminds 
Timothy of the manner in which he 
had been trained ; of the piety of his 
mother and grandmother, and assures 
him of his own belief that their efforts 
to train him up in the ways of relig- 
ion had not been in vain. (2. ) He urges 
various considerations to induce him 
not to turn away from that holy pur- 



2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved 
son : b Grace, mercy, and peace, from 
God the Father and Christ Jesus 
our Lord. 

3 I thank God, whom I serve c 

6 1 Tim. 1.2. c Acts 23. 1. 



pose to which he had devoted himself. 
The considerations which he urges 
are these : (a) he had been solemnly 
consecrated to the work of preaching 
the Gospel, ver. 6 ; (&) God had impart- 
ed to him, as to others, a spirit of love 
and power, and a sound mind, ver. 7 ; 
(c) the grace of God had called him to 
his great work, and he possessed that 
Gospel by which life and immortality 
are brought to light, ver. 8-11 ; (d) 
he urges his own example, and says 
that, amid all his own trials, he had 
never seen occasion to be ashamed of 
the Gospel, ver. 12-14; and (e) he 
reminds Timothy that all his other 
friends in Asia had turned away from 
him, specifying two of them, and urges 
him, therefore, to maintain a steadfast 
attachment to the principles which 
he had professed, yerse 15. (3.) The 
chapter closes with an earnest prayer 
that the Lord would bless the family 
of Onesiphorus, and with a grateful 
mention of his kindness to him, ver. 
16-18. 

1. Paid an apostle of Jesus Christ. 
See Notes on Rom. i. 1. T[ By the will 
of God. Called to be an apostle in 
accordance with the divine will and 
purpose. See Notes on Gal. i. 1. % Ac- 
cording to the promise of life which is in 
Christ Jesus. In accordance with the 
promise of eternal life through the 
Saviour; that is, he was called to be 
an apostle to carry out the great pur- 
pose of human salvation. Comp. Eph. 
iii. 6. God has made a promise of life 
to mankind through faith in the Lord 
Jesus, and it was with reference to this 
that he was called to the apostleship. 

2. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 2. % Grace, mer- 
cy, and peace, etc. See Notes on Rom. 
i.7. ■ - . : 



204 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



from my forefathers with pure con- 
science, a that without ceasing I 
have remembrance of thee in my 
prayers night and day ; 
4 Greatly desiring 6 to see thee, 

cHeb.13.18. igc.4.9,21. 

S.I thank God, whom I serve from my 
forefathers. Paul reckoned among his 
forefathers the patriarchs and the 
holy men of former times, as being of 
the same nation with himself, though 
it may be that he also included his 
more immediate ancestors, who, for 
any thing known to the contrary, may 
have been distinguished examples of 
piety. His own parents, it is certain, 
took care that he should be trained up 
in the ways of religion. Comp. Notes 
on Phil. iii. 4, 5; Acts xxvi. 4, 5. The 
phrase "from my forefathers" proba- 
bly means, after the example of my an- 
cestors. He worshiped the same God ; 
he held substantially the same truths ; 
he had the same hope of the resurrec- 
tion and of immortality ; he relied for 
salvation on the same Saviour having 
come, on whom they relied as about to 
come. His was not, therefore, a differ- 
ent religion from theirs ; it was the 
same religion carried out and perfect- 
ed. The religion of the Old Testament 
and the New is essentially the same. 
See Notes on Acts xxiii. 6. U With 
pure conscience. See Notes on Acts 
xxiii. 1. T| That without ceasing. Comp. 
Notes on Rom. xii. 12; 1 Thess. v. 17. 
TT I have remembrance of thee in my 
prayers night and day. See Notes on 
Phil. i. 3, 4. 

4. Greatly desiring to see thee. See 
ch. iv. 9, 21. It was probably on ac- 
count of this earnest desire that this 
epistle was WTitten. He wished to 
see him, not only on account of the 
warm friendship which he had for him, 
but because he would be useful to him 
in his present circumstances. See 
In trod., § 3. If Being mindful of thy 
tears. Alluding probably to the tears 
which he shed at parting from him. 
The occasion to which he refers is not 
mentioned ; but nothing is more prob- 
able than that Timothy would weep 
when separated from such a father and 
friend, It is not wrong thus to weep, 
for religion is not intended to make 
us stoics or savages. U That I may be 
filled with joy. By seeing you again. 
It is easy to imagine what joy it would 
give Paul, then a prisoner, forsaken by 



being mindful of thy tears, that I 
may be filled with joy ; 

5 When I call to remembrance 
the unfeigned faith c that is in thee, 
which dwelt first in thy grand- 

c 1 Tim. 4. 6. 



nearly all bis friends, and about to die, 
to see a friend whom he loved as he 
did this young man. Learn, hence, 
(a) that there may be very pure and 
warm friendship between an old and 
young man, and (6) that the warmth 
of true friendship is not diminished by 
the near prospect of death. 

5. When I call to remembrance the un- 
feigned faith that is in thee. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. i. 5. On the faith of Timo- 
thy, see Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 6. Tf Which 
dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois. 
That is, the same faith dwelt in her; 
or, she was a sincere believer in Christ. 
It would seem probable, from this, 
that she was the first of the family 
who had been converted. In the Acts 
of the Apostles (xvi. 1) we have an ac- 
count of the family of Timothy: 
u Then came he to Derbe and Lystra; 
and behold a certain disciple was t here, 
named Timotheus, the son of a certain 
woman wiiich was a Jewess, and be- 
lieved; but his father was a Greek." 
In this account no mention is made of 
the grandmother Lois, but there is no 
improbability in supposing that Paul 
was better acquainted with the family 
than Luke. There is, at any rate, no 
contradiction between the two ac- 
counts; but the one confirms the 
other, and the ''undesigned coinci- 
dence" furnishes an argument for the 
authenticity of both. See Paley' s Ho- 
rce Paidinm, in loc. As the mother of 
Timothy was a Hebrew, it is clear that 
his grandmother was also. Nothing 
more is known of her than is here 
mentioned. 1 And in thy mother Eu- 
nice. In Acts xvi. 1, it is said that the 
mother of Timothy was " a Jewess, 
and believed;" but her name is not 
mentioned. This shows that Paul was 
acquainted with the family, and that 
the statement in the epistle to Timo- 
thy was not forged from the account 
in the Acts. Here is another " unde- 
signed coincidence." In the history 
in the Acts, nothing is said of the fa- 
ther, except that he was "a Greek," 
but it is implied that he was not a be- 
liever. In the epistle before us noth- 
ing whatever is said of him. But the 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER I. 



205 



mother Lois, and thy mother a Eu- 
nice ; and I am persuaded that in 
thee also. 
6 Wherefore I put thee in rernem- 

a Acts 16.1. 

piety of his mother alone is commend- 
ed, and it is fairly implied that his fa- 
ther was not a believer. This is one 
of those coincidences on which Paley 
has constructed his beautiful argu- 
ment in the Horce Paulince in favor of 
the genuineness of the New Testa- 
ment. 

6. That thou stir up the gift of God. 
The original word used here denotes 
the kindling of a fire, as by bellows, 
etc. It is not uncommon to compare 
piety to a flame or a fire, and the im- 
age is one that is obvious when we 
speak of causing that to burn more 
brightly. The idea is that Timothy 
was to use all proper means to keep 
the flame of pure religion in the soul 
burning, and more particularly his 
zeal in the great cause to which he 
had been set apart. The agency of 
man himself is needful to keep the 
religion of the heart warm and glow- 
ing. However rich the gifts which 
God has bestowed upon us, they do 
not grow of their own accord, but 
need to be cultivated by our own per- 
sonal care. If Which is in thee by the 
putting on of my hands. In connec- 
tion with the presbytery. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. iv. 14. This proves that 
Paul took part in the ordination of 
Timothy ; but it does not prove either 
that he performed the duty alone, or 
that the "ordaining virtue," whatever 
that was, was imparted by him only ; 
for (1.) it is expressly said (1 Tim. iv. 
14) that he was ordained by the laying 
on of the hands of the presbytery, of 
which Paul was doubtless one ; and (2. ) 
the language here used, "by the put- 
ting on of my hands," is just such as 
Paul, or any other one of the presby- 
tery, would use in referring to the or- 
dination of Timothy, though they were 
all regarded as on a level. It is such 
an expression as an aged Presbyterian, 
Congregational, or Baptist minister 
would address to a son whom he had 
assisted to ordain. Nothing would be 
more natural than to remind him that 
his own hands had been laid on him 
when he was set apart to the work of 
the ministry. It would be Of the nat- 
ure of a tender, pathetic, and solemn 
appeal, bringing all that there was in 



brance that thou stir up the gift 
of God, b which is in thee by the 
putting on of my hands. 
7 For God hath not given us the 

b 1 Tim. 4. 14. 

his own character, age, and relation to 
the other to bear on him, in order to 
induce him to be faithful to his trust. 
On other occasions he would naturally 
remind him that others had united with 
him in the act, and that he had de- 
rived his authority through the pres- 
bytery, just as Paul appeals to Timo- 
thy, 1 Tim. iv. 14. But no one would 
now think of inferring from this that 
he meant to be understood as saying 
that he alone had ordained him, or 
that all the authority for preaching 
the Gospel had been imparted through 
his hands, and that those who were 
associated with him only expressed 
" concurrence ;" that is, that their pres- 
ence there was only an unmeaning cer- 
emony. What teas the "gift of God" 
which had been conferred in this way 
Paul specifies in the next verse. It is 
" the spirit of power, and of love, and 
of a sound mind." The meaning is, 
that these had been conferred by God, 
and that the gift had been recognized 
by his ordination. It does not imply 
that any mj^sterious influence had gone 
from the hands of the ordainers, im- 
parting any holiness to Timothy which 
he had not before. 

7. For God hath not given us the spirit 
of fear. A timorous and servile spirit. 
This is said in order to encourage 
Timothy, who was not improbably 
modest and diffident. ^ But of power. 
Power to encounter foes and dangers ; 
power to bear up under trials; power 
to triumph in persecutions. That is, 
it is the nature of the Gospel to in- 
spire the mind with holy courage. 
Comp. , however, Luke xxiv. 49. *jj And 
of love. Love to God and to the souls 
of men. The tendency of this, also, is 
to " cast out fear" (Uohn iv. 18), and 
to make the mind bold and constant. 
Nothing will do more to inspire cour- 
age, to make a man fearless of danger, 
or ready to endure privation and per- 
secution, than love. The love of coun- 
try, of wife, of children, and of home, 
makes the most timid bold when they 
are assailed; and the love of Christ 
and of a dj 7 ing world nerves the soul 
to great enterprises, and sustains it 
in the deepest sorrows, "ft And of a 
sound mind. The Greek word denotes 



206 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



spirit of fear ; a but of power, h and 
of love, and of a sound mind. 

8 Be not thou therefore ashamed 
of the testimony of our Lord, nor 
of me his prisoner : but be thou 
partaker c of the afflictions of the 
Gospel according to the power of 
God; 

a Rom. 8. 15. 1 John 4. 18. b Luke 24.49. 

c Col. 1.24. d Matt. 1.21. e Rom. 8. 28, 30. 

one of sober mind ; a man of prudence 
and discretion. The state referred to 
is that in which the mind is well bal- 
anced, and under right influences ; in 
which it sees things in their just pro- 
portions and relations ; in which it 
is not feverish and excited, but when 
every thing is in its proper place. It 
was this state of mind which Timothy 
was exhorted to cultivate; this which 
Paul regarded as so necessary to the 
performance of the duties of his office. 
It is as needful now for the minister 
of religi on as it was then. 

8. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the 
testimony of our Lord. Do not be 
ashamed to bear your testimony to the 
doctrines taught by the Lord Jesus. 
John iii. 11, 32, 33 ; vii. 7. Comp. Acts 
x. 22; xx. 24; 1 Cor. i. 6; Rev. xxii. 16. 
Paul seems to have apprehended that 
Timothy was in some danger of being 
ashamed of this Gospel, or of shrink- 
ing back from its open avowal in the 
trials and persecutions to which he 
now saw it exposed him. If Nor of me 
his prisoner. Of the testimony which 
I have borne to the truth of the Gos- 
pel. This passage proves that, when 
Paul wrote this epistle, he was in con- 
finement. Comp. Eph. iii. 1 ; vi. 20 ; 
Phil. i. 13, 14, 16 ; Col. iv. 3, 18 ; Phil- 
emon 9. Timothy knew that he had 
been thrown into prison on account 
of his love for the Gospel. There 
might be some danger that, in order to 
avoid that, a timid young man might 
shrink from an open avowal of his be- 
lief in the same system of truth. If But 
be thou partaker of the afflictions of the 
Gospel. The sufferings to which the 
profession of the Gospel may expose 
you. Comp. Notes on Col. i. 24. % Ac- 
cording to the power of God. That is, ac- 
cording to the power which God gives 
to those who are afflicted on account 
of the Gospel. The apostle evidently 
supposes that they who were subject- 
ed to trials on account of the Gospel 
might look for divine strength to up- 



9 "Who hath saved d us, and 
called c us with an holy calling, 
not /according to our works, but 
according to his own purpose 9 
and grace, which was given us in 
Christ Jesus, before h the world be- 
gan; 

10 But is now made manifest * by 

/Tit. 3. 5. #Deut. 7. 7,8. Eph. 1.9,11. 

h Eph. 1.4. il Pet. 1.20. 

hold them, and asks him to endure 
those trials, relying on that strength, 
and not on his own. 

9. Who hath saved us. See Notes on 
Matt. i. 21. He has brought us into a 
state in which salvation is so certain 
that Paul could speak of it as if it were 
already done. If And called us. See 
Notes on Rom. viii. 28, 30. If With an 
holy calling. A calling which is in its 
own nature holy, and which leads to 
holiness. Comp. Notes on Eph. iv. 1 ; 
Phil. iii. 14 ; Heb. iii. 1. If Not accord- 
ing to our works. Titus iii. 5. See 
Notes on Eph. ii. 8, 9. The idea is, 
that our own works have nothing to 
do in inducing God to call us. As, 
when we become Christians, he does not 
choose us because of our works, so the 
eternal purpose in regard to our sal- 
vation could not have been formed, 
because he foresaw that we would per- 
form such works as would be a reason 
why he should choose us. The whole 
arrangement was irrespective of our 
deserts, If But according to his own pur- 
pose and grace. See Notes on Rom. ix. 
11-13,16; Eph. i. 4, 5. ^ Which was giv- 
en us in Christ Jesus, before the world be- 
gan. That is, which he intended to give 
us, for it was not then actually given. 
The thing was so certain in the divine 
purposes that it might be said to be 
already done. Comp. Notes on Rom. 
iv. 17. 

10. But is now made manifest. The 
purpose to save us was long concealed 
in the divine mind, but the Saviour 
came that he might make it known. 
If Who hath abolished death. That is, 
he has made it so certain that death will 
be abolished that it may be spoken 
of as already done. It is remarkable 
how often, in this chapter, Paul speaks 
of what God intends to do as so certain 
that it may be spoken of as a thing 
that is already done. On the meaning 
of the expression here, see Notes on 1 
Cor. xv. 54. Comp. Notes on Heb. ii. 
14. The meaning is, that, through the 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER I. 



207 



the appearing of our Saviour Je- 
sus Christ, who hath abolished a 
death, and hath brought life b and 

a 1 Cor. 15. 54. 

Gospel, death will cease to reign, and 
over those who are saved there will be 
no such thing as we now understand 
by dying. H And hath brought life and 
immortality to light through the Gospel. 
This is one of the great and glorious 
achievements of the Gospel, and one 
of the things by which it is distinguish- 
ed from every other system. The word 
rendered "hath brought to light" — 
(pcori^u) — means to give light, to shine; 
then to give light to, to shine upon ; 
and then to bring to light, to make 
known. — Rob.,Zez. The sense is, that 
these things were before obscure or 
unknown, and that they have been dis- 
closed to us or made clear by the Gos- 
pel. It is, of course, not meant that 
there were no intimations of these 
truths before, or that nothing was 
known of them — for the Old Testament 
shed some light on them; but that 
they are fully disclosed to man in the 
Gospel. There all ambiguity and doubt 
are removed, and the evidence is so 
clearly stated as to leave no doubt on 
the subject. The intimations of a fut- 
ure state, among the wisest of the 
heathen, were certainly very obscure, 
and their hopes very faint. The hope 
of a future state is styled by Cicero, 
Futurorum quoddam augurium ssecu- 
lorum — a conjecture or sumiise of fut- 
ure ages. — Tusc. Q. , 1. Seneca says it is 
"that which our wise men do promise, 
but they do not prove." — Epis., 102. 
Socrates, even at his death, said, "I 
hope to go hence to good men, but of 
that I am not very confident; nor doth 
it become any wise man to be positive 
that so it will be. I must now die, 
and you shall live ; but which of us is 
in the better state, the living or the 
dead, God only knows." Pliny says, 
" Neither soul nor body has any more 
sense after death than before it was 
born." Cicero begins his discourse 
on the subject with the avowal that 
he intended to deliver nothing as fixed 
and certain, but only as probable, and 
as having some likelihood of truth. 
And, having mentioned the different 
sentiments of philosophers, he con- 
cludes, "Which of these opinions is 
true, some god must tell us ; which is 
most like to truth, is a great question. ' ' 
See Whitby, in loc. Such doubts ex- 



immortality to light through the 
Gospel : 

11 Whereunto I am appointed a 

b John 5. 24-29. 

isted in regard to the immortality of 
the soul; but of the resurrection and 
future life of the body, they had no con- 
ception whatever. Comp. Acts xvii. 
32. With what propriety, then, may 
it be said that these doctrines were 
brought to light through the Gospel ! 
Man would never have known them if 
it had not been for revelation. The 
word " life," here, refers undoubtedly 
to life in the future world. The ques- 
tion was, whether man would live at 
all ; and that question has been deter- 
mined by the Gospel. The word "im- 
mortality" means, properly, incorrup- 
tion, incapacity of decay ; and may be 
applied either to the body or the soul. 
See it explained in the Notes on 1 Cor. 
xv. 42. It is used in reierence to the 
body, in 1 Cor. xv. 42, 53, 54. In Rom. 
ii. 7, it is applied to the future state of 
rewards, without special reference to 
the body or soul. Here it seems to 
refer to the future state as that in which 
there will be no corruption or decay. 
Many suppose that the phrase " life 
and immortality," here, is used by hen- 
diadys (two things for one), as mean- 
ing Immortal or incorruptible life. 
The Gospel thus has truths not found 
in any other system, and contains what 
man never would have discovered of 
himself. As fair a trial had been made 
among the philosophers of Greece and 
Rome as could be made, to determine 
whether the unaided powers of the hu- 
man mind could discover these great 
truths ; and their most distinguished 
philosophers confessed that they could 
arrive at no certainty on the subject. 
In this state of things, the Gospel 
comes and reveals truths worthy of all 
acceptation ; sheds light where man 
had desired it ; solves the great prob- 
lems which had for ages perplexed the 
human mind, and discloses to man all 
that he could wish— that not only the 
soul will live forever, but that the 
body will be raised from the grave, 
and that the entire man will become 
immortal. How strange it is that men 
will not embrace the Gospel ! Socra- 
tes and Cicero would have hailed its 
light, and welcomed its truths as 
those which their whole nature pant- 
ed to know. 
11. Whereunto I am appointed a 



208 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



preacher, and an apostle, and a 
teacher of the Gentiles. 

12 For the which cause I also 
suffer these things: nevertheless a 
I am not ashamed: for I know 

a Rom. 1. 16. 1 or, trusted. b 1 Pet. 4. 19. 

preacher. That is, I am appointed to 
make these truths known. See Notes 
on Eph. iii. 7, 8. 

12. For the which came I also suffer 
these things. That is, I suffer on ac- 
count of my purpose to cany the Gos- 
pel to the Gentiles. See Notes on 
Col. i. 24. ^Nevertheless I am not 
ashamed. Comp. Notes on Rom. i. 
16. For I know whom I have believed. 
Marg., trusted. The idea is, that he 
understood the character of that Re- 
deemer to whom he had committed 
his eternal interests, and knew that he 
had no reason to he ashamed of con- 
fiding in him. He was able to keep 
all that had been intrusted to his care, 
and he would not suffer him to be lost. 
See Isa. xxviii. 16. H And am persuad- 
ed that he is able to keep that which I 
have committed unto him. That is, the 
soul, with all its immortal interests. 
Man has nothing of higher value to in- 
trust to another than the interests of 
his soul, and there is no other act of 
confidence like that in which he com- 
mits the keeping of that soul to the 
Son of God. Learn hence, (1. ) that re- 
ligion consists in intrusting the soul 
to the care of the Lord Jesus ; because 
(a) we feel that we can not secure its 
salvation ourselves ; (b) it is by nature 
in danger ; (c) if not saved by him, it 
will not be saved at all. (2.) That it 
is a great and invaluable treasure 
which is committed to him. (a) No 
higher treasure can be committed to 
another than the soul ; (6) the whole 
question of our happiness on earth 
and in heaven is intrusted to him, and 
all depends on his fidelity. (3.) It is 
done by the true Christian with the 
most entire confidence, so that the 
mind is at rest. The grounds of this 
confidence are (a) what is said of the 
mighty power of the Saviour; (b) his 
promises that he will keep all who 
confide in him (comp. John x. 27-29) ; 
(c) experience— the fact that those who 
have trusted in him have found that he 
is able to keep them. (4.) This act of 
committing the soul, with all its in- 
terests, to the Saviour, is the true 
source of peace in the trials of life. 



whom I have 1 believed, and am 
persuaded that he is able to keep 
that which I have b committed 
unto him against that day. 
• 1 3 Hold fast c the form d of e sound 

c Rev. 2. 25. d Rom. 6. 17. e 1 Tim. 6. 3. 



This is so because, (a) having done 
this, we feel that our great interests 
are secure. If the soul is safe, why 
need we be disturbed by the loss of 
health, or property, or other tempo- 
ral comforts? Those are secondary 
things. A man who is shipwrecked, 
and who sees his wife, his son, his 
daughter safe with him on the shore, 
will be little concerned that a casket 
of jewels fell overboard — however val- 
uable it might be. (6) All these trials 
will soon pass away, and he will be 
safe in heaven, (c) These very things 
may further the great object — the sal- 
vation of the soul. A man's great in- 
terests may be more safe when in a 
prison than when in a palace; on a 
pallet of straw than on abed of down; 
when constraiyied to say, u Give us this 
day our daily bread," than when able 
to "clothe himself in purple and fine 
linen, and to fare sumptuously every 
day . " H Against that day. Th e day of 
judgment — called "that day," with- 
out any thing further to designate it, 
because it is the great day; "the day 
for which all other days were made." 
It seems to have been so much the 
object of thought and conversation 
among the early Christians, that the 
apostle supposed that he would be 
understood by merely referring to it 
as " that day ;" that is, the day which 
they were always preaching about, 
talking about, thinking about. 

13. Holdfast the form of sound words. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 3. On the 
Greek word here rendered "/orm," 
see Notes on 1 Tim. i. 16, where it is 
rendered pattern. The word means a 
form, sketch, or imperfect delineation 
— an outline. Grotius says that it here 
means " an exemplar, but an exemplar 
fixed in* the mind— an idea." Calvin 
says that the command is that he 
should adhere to the doctrine which 
he had learned, not only in its sub- 
stance, but in its form. Archbishop 
Tillotson explains this as meaning the 
profession of faith which was made by 
Christians at baptism. There seems 
to be an allusion to some summary or 
outline of truth which Paul had given 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER I. 



209 



words, which thou hast heard of 
me, in faith and love which is in 
Christ Jesus. 

14 That a good thing which was 
committed unto thee, keep by the 
Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. 

a 1 Tim. 6. 20. . b Acts 19.10. 



15 This thou knowest, that all b 
they which are in Asia be turned 
c away from me; of whom are 
Phygellus and Hermogenes. 

16 The Lord give mercy unto the 
house of Onesiphorus ; d for he oft 



to Timothy, though there is no evi- 
dence that it was written. Indeed, 
there is every presumption that, if it 
refers to such a summary, it was not 
committed to writing. If it had been, i 
it would have been regarded as in- 
spired, and would have taken its place ! 
in the canon of Scripture. It may be j 
presumed that almost none of the sa- i 
cred writings would have been more 
sacredly preserved than such a con- 
densed summary of Christian truth, j 
But there is no improbability in sup- ■ 
posing that Paul, either at his ordina- 
tion, or on some other occasion, may j 
have stated the outlines of the Chris- 
tian religion to Timothy, in order that ! 
he might have a clear and connected j 
view of the subject. The passage, 
therefore, may be used as an argu- 
ment for the propriety of some brief \ 
summary of doctrine as a matter of 
convenience, though not as having I 
binding authority on the consciences 
of others. Of sound words. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 3. The Greek is 
the same in both places. TT Which thou j 
hast heard of me. This makes it prob- j 
able that he does not refer to a written 
creed, since it was something which j 
he had " heard " not what he had read, j 
IT In fctith and love which is in Christ j 
Jesus. Hold these truths with sincere j 
faith in the Lord Jesus, and with that j 
love which is the best evidence of at- j 
tachment to him. 

14. That good thing which was com- j 
mitted unto thee. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
vi. 20. The reference here in the 
phrase, "that good thing committed 
unto thee," is to the sound Christian 
doctrine with which he had been in- j 
trusted, and which he was required to 
transmit to others. ^ Keep by the 
Holy Ghost. By the aid of the Holy 
Ghost. One of the essential methods 
of preserving the knowledge and the 
love of truth is to cherish the influ- j 
ences of the Holy Spirit. 

15. This thou knowest, that all they 
which are in Asia be turned away from \ 
me. That is, in that part of Asia Mi- ' 
nor of which Ephesus was the capital. I 



The name Asia was often given par- 
ticularly to that province of Asia Mi- 
nor. See Notes on Acts ii. 9 ; xvi. 6. 
This passage proves that Timothy 
was somewhere in that region when 
this epistle was written to him, for 
otherwise he could not be supposed 
to "know" what is here said. When 
Paul says that ' ' cdl ' ' were turned away 
from him, he must use the word in a 
general sense, for he immediately spec- 
ifies one who had been faithful and 
kind to him. Of whom are Phygel- 
lus and Hermogenes. We know noth- 
ing of these individuals but what is 
here mentioned. It would seem that 
they were prominent persons, and 
those from whom the apostle had a 
right to expect other treatment. 
"The ecclesiastical traditions allege 
that they were of the seventy disci- 
ples, and" in the end became followers 
of Simon Magus. We imagine that 
this is little more than conjecture." — 
Pict. Bib* It is a sad thing when the 
only record made of a man — the only 
evidence which we have that he ever 
lived at all — is that he turned away 
from a friend, or forsook the paths of 
true religion. And yet there are many 
men of whom the only thing to be re- 
membered of them is that they lived 
to do wrong. 

16. The Lord give mercy unto the house 
of Onesiphorus. The family of One- 
siphorus — for so the word house is 
often used. He was himself still liv- 
ing (ver. 18), but not improbably then 
absent from his home. Comp. ch. iv. 
19. He was evidently of Asia, and he 
is the only one who is mentioned from 
that region who had showed the apos- 
tle kindness in his trials. He is men- 
tioned only in this epistle, and noth- 
ing more is known of him. The rec- 
ord is entirely honorable to him, and 
for his family the apostle felt a warm 
interest on account of the kindness 
which he had shown to him in prison. 
The ecclesiastical traditions also state 
that he was one of the seventy disci- 
ples, and was ultimately bishop of Co- 
rone. But there is no evidence of 



210 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



refreshed me, and was not ashamed 
of my chain/ 

17 But when he was in Rome, he 
sought me out very diligently, and 
found me. 

a Acts 28. 20. 



this. There is much force in the re- 
mark of the editor of the Pictorial 
Bible, that " the pretended lists of the 
seventy disciples seem to have been 
made out on the principle of includ- 
ing all the names incidentally men- 
tioned in the sacred books, and not 
otherwise appropriated." ^ For he 
oft refreshed me. That is, showed me 
kindness, and ministered to my wants. 
Tf And ivas not ashamed of my chain. 
Was not ashamed to be known as a 
friend of one who was a prisoner on 
account of religion. Paul was bound 
with a chain when a prisoner at Rome. 
Phil. i. 13, 14, 16 ; Col. iv. 3, 18; Phil- 
em. 10. Comp. Notes on Acts xxviii. 
20. 

17. But when he was in Rome. What 
was the employment of Onesiphorus 
is not known. It may have been that 
he was a merchant, and had occasion 
to visit Rome on business. At all 
events, he was at pains to search out 
the apostle, and his attention was the 
more valuable because it cost him 
trouble to lind him. It is not every 
one, even among professors of relig- 
ion, who in a great and splendid city 
would be at the trouble to search out 
a Christian brother, or even a minis- 
ter, who was a prisoner, and endeavor 
to relieve his sorrows. This man, so 
kind to the great apostle, will be 
among those to whom the Saviour 
will say, at the final judgment, "I was 
in prison, and ye came unto me." 
Matt. xxv. 36. 

18. The Lord grant unto him that he 
may find mercy of the Lord in that day. 
The day of judgment. See Notes on 
ver. 12. This proves that Onesipho- 
rus was then alive, as Paul would not 
offer prayer for him if he was dead. 
The Papists, indeed, argue from this 
in favor of praying for the dead— as- 
suming from ch. iv. 19, that Onesiph- 
orus was then dead. But there is no 
evidence of that. The passage in ch. 
iv. 19, would prove only that he was 
then absent from his family. ^And 
in how many thi7igs he ministered unto 
me at Ephesus. This was the home of 
Onesiphorus, and his family was still 



18 The Lord grant unto him that 
he may find mercy of the Lord in 
b that day : and in how many things 
he c ministered unto me at Ephe- 
sus, thou knowest very well. 

b Matt. 25. 34-40. c Heb. 6. 10. 



there. Ch. iv. 19. When Paul was at 
Ephesus, it would seem that Onesiph- 
orus had showed him great kindness. 
His affection for him did not change 
when he became a prisoner. True 
friendship, and especially that which 
is based on religion, will live in all the 
vicissitudes of fortune, whether we 
are in prosperity or adversity ; wheth- 
er in a home of plenty or in a prison. 

This chapter is full of interest, and 
may suggest many interesting reflec- 
tions. W^e see 

(1.) A holy man imprisoned and 
about to die. He had nearly finished 
his course, and had the prospect of 
soon departing. 

(2.) He was forsaken by his friends, 
and left to bear his sorrows alone. 
They on whom he might have relied 
had left him ; and to all his outward 
sufferings there was added this, one 
of the keenest which his Master en- 
dured before him, that his friends for- 
sook him, and left him to bear his sor- 
rows alone. 

(3.) Yet his mind is calm, and his 
faith in the Gospel is unshaken. He 
expresses no regret that he had em- 
braced the Gospel; no sorrow that he 
had been so zealous in it as to bring 
these calamities upon himself. That 
Gospel he still loves, and his great so- 
licitude is that his young friend may 
never shrink from avowing it, though 
it may call him also to pass through 
scenes of persecution and sorrow.* 

(4.) In the general apostasy, the 
turning away of those on whom he 
might have relied, it is refreshing and 
interesting to find mention made of 
one unshaken friend. Ver. 16. That 
faithful friend never swerved in his af- 
fections. He had been kind to the 
apostle in former years of compara- 
tive honor, and he did not leave him 
now in the dark day of adversity. 
It is always interesting to find true 
friendship in this world — friendship 
that survives all reverses, and that is 
willing to manifest itself when the 
great mass turn coldly away. There 
is such a thing as friendship, and there 
is such a thing as religion, and when 



A.D. G5.J 



CHAPTER II. 



211 



CHAPTER II. 

THOU therefore, my son, be a 
strong in the grace that is in 
Christ Jesus. 
2 And the things that thou hast 

aJos. 1.7. Eph.6. 10. lor, by. 

they meet and mingle in the same 
heart, the one strengthens the other ; 
and then neither persecution, nor pov- 
erty, nor chains, will prevent our do- 
ing good to him who is in prison and 
is about to die. See Notes on ch. 
iv. 16. 

CHAPTER II. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter is made up of various 
exhortations and encouragements to 
duty. The apostle exhorts Timothy 
to he strong in the Christian graces 
(ver. 1) ; to commit the great trust 
which he had received to faithful men 
(ver. 2); to endure hardships like a 
good soldier (ver. 3-7), and refers him 
(a) to the case of one who goes to war, 
whose great business it is to please 
him in whose service he is (ver. 4); 
(&) to the case of one who stri ves for 
a crown at the games (ver. 5), and (c) 
to the husbandman who looks onward 
for the reward of his labor (ver. 6). 
He then, in order to encourage him 
to be patient in enduring the trials to 
which he would be exposed, refers 
him (a) to the certainty of the truth 
of that religion in whose cause he 
would suffer (ver. 8) ; (b) to his own 
case, reminding him how much he had 
endured in that cause (vs. 9, 10) ; (c) 
to the fact that our sufferings here 
will be crowned with certain glory 
hereafter (vs. 11, 12) ; and (d) to the 
assurance that the Lord Jesus will be 
faithful to all his promises to his peo- 
ple (ver. 13). These things the apos- 
tle then exhorts him to press upon 
the hearts of others, that they might 
not waste their time in unprofitable 
pursuits, but might engage in the 
same great and arduous struggle for 
securing the reward. Ver. 14. He then 
exhorts Timothy to study to perform 
his duties in such a way that he would 
not be ashamed, and to avoid the un- 
important strifes which were then 
raging; and, to enforce this, he refers 
to a real case with which Timothy was 
m acquainted — that of Hymeneus and 
Philetus, who, by unprofitable specu- 
lations, had been led to deny a funda- 



heard of me 1 among many wit- 
nesses, the same commit 6 thou to 
faithful men, who shall be able c 
to teach others also. 
3 Thou therefore endure d hard- 

bl Tim. 1.18. c Tit. 1.9. d c. 4. 5. 



mental doctrine of religion. Ver. 15- 
18. • Yet, Paul says, he' should not be 
discouraged because some had been 
led into dangerous errors. The foun- 
dation of God remained firm. Those 
that were truly his were known, and 
would not apostatize. Ver. 19. In il- 
lustration of this, and to show that it 
was to be expected that all would not 
honor religion, the apostle refers to a 
house in which there were all sorts of 
vessels, some to honor and some to 
dishonor, and says that, if any one 
would endeavor to free himself from 
all th#t was base and impure, he would 
be a vessel meet for the use of the 
Master. Vs. 20, 21. To accomplish 
this, he gives Timothy various direc- 
tions respecting his conduct. He was 
to flee from youthful lusts ; he was to 
follow righteousness, faith, charity, 
and peace; he was to avoid foolish 
questions ; he was to be an example of 
gentleness and meekness, and he was 
patiently to instruct those that were 
of a different character. Ver. 22-26. 

1. Thou, therefore. In view of the 
fact stated in the previous chapter, 
that many had turned away from the 
apostle, and had forsaken the paths of 
truth. f[ Be strong in the grace which is 
in Christ Jesus. Comp. Notes on Eph. 
vi. 10. The meaning is, Be strong, 
relying on the grace which the Lord 
Jesus only can impart. 

2. And the things which thou hast heard 
of me among many witnesses. Marg. , by. 
Before, or in the presence of, many 
witnesses. Perhaps he refers to a sol- 
emn charge which he gave him, in the 
presence of the Church, when he was 
ordained. It is by no means improb- 
able that such a charge was given then 
to a newly ordained minister, as it is 
now. On such an occasion, the apos- 
tle would be likely to state a summary 
of Christian doctrine — (comp. Notes 
on ch. i. 13) — and to exhort Timothy 
to a faithful adherence to it. IT The 
same commit thou to faithful men. In 
the same way as those things have 
been committed to you. The refer- 
ence is undoubtedly to ordination to 



212 II. TIMOTHY. 



ness, as a good soldier of Jesus 
Christ. 



the ministerial office. Timothy was 
to see that those only were admitted 
to the ministry who were qualified to 
understand the truths of religion, and 
to communicate them to others. This 
is a clear warrant for ministers to set 
apart others to the same sacred office. 
It does not prove that the people are 
not at liberty to choose their own pas- 
tor, hut only that those in the minis- 
try are to set apart others to the same 
office with themselves. There is, 
doubtless, to be a 44 succession" of 
ministers in the Church ; but the true 
line of the "succession" is to be found 
in good men who are qualified to teach, 
and who have the spirit of Christ, and 
not merely in those who have been 
ordained. If Who shall be able to teach 
others also. On the qualifications of 
ministers, see Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 2-7. 

3. Thou therefore endure 7iardness, as 
a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Such 
hardships as a soldier is called to en- 
dure. The apostle supposes that a 
minister of the Gospel might be called 
to endure hardships, and that it is rea- 
sonable that he should be as ready to 
do it as a soldier is. On the hardships 
which he endured himself, see Notes 
on 2 Cor. xi. 23-29. Soldiers often en- 
dure great privations. Taken from 
their homes and friends ; exposed to 
cold, or heat, or storms, or fatiguing 
marches ; fed on coarse fare, or almost 
destitute of food, they are often com- 
pelled to endure as much as the hu- 
man frame can bear, and often, indeed, 
sink under their burdens and die. If, 
for reward or their country's sake, 
they are willing to do this, the soldier 
of the Cross should be willing to do 
it for his Saviour's sake, and for the 
good of the human race. Hence, let 
no man seek the office of the ministry 
as a place of ease. Let no one come 
into it merely to enjoy himself. Let 
no one enter it who is not prepared 
to lead a soldier's life, and to welcome 
hardship and trial as his portion. He 
would make a bad soldier, who, at his 
enlistment, should make it a condition 
that he should be permitted to sleep 
on a bed of down, and always be well 
clothed and fed, and never exposed to 
peril, or compelled to pursue a weari- 
some march. Yet do not some men 
enter the ministry making these the 



[A.D. 65. 

4 No man that warreth a entan- 
gleth himself with the affairs of 

a 1 Cor. 9. 25, 26. 

conditions on which they will serve 
Christ? And would they enter the 
ministry on any other terms ? 

4. No man that warreth entangleth him- 
self with the affairs of this life. Having 
alluded to the soldier, and stated one 
thing in which the Christian minister 
is to resemble him, another point of 
resemblance is suggested to the mind 
of the apostle. Neither the minister 
nor the soldier is to be encumbered 
with the atfairs of this life, and the 
one should not be more than the oth- 
er. This is always a condition in be- 
coming a soldier. He gives up his own 
business during the time for which he 
is enlisted, and devotes himself to the 
service of his country. The farmer 
leaves his plow, and the mechanic his 
shop, and the merchant his store, and 
the student his books, and the lawyer 
his brief; and neither of them expect 
to pursue these things while engaged 
in the service of their country. It 
would be wholly impracticable to car- 
ry on the plans of a campaign if each 
one of these classes should undertake 
to prosecute his private business. See 
this fully illustrated from the Rules 
of War among the Romans, by Grotius, 
in loc. Roman soldiers were not al- 
lowed to marry, or to engage in any 
husbandry or trade; and they were 
forbidden to act as tutors to any per- 
son, or curators to any man's estate, 
or proctors in the cause of other men. 
The general principle was, that they 
were excluded from those relations, 
agencies, and engagements, "which it 
w^as thought would divert their minds 
from that which was to be the sole 
object of pursuit. So with the minis- 
ters of the Gospel. It is equally im- 
proper for them to "entangle" them- 
selves with the business of a farm or 
plantation ; with plans of speculation 
and gain ; with any purpose of worldly 
aggrandizement. The minister of the 
Gospel accomplishes the design of his 
appointment only when he can say in 
sincerity that he "is not entangled 
with the affairs of this life." Comp. 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 25-27. U That he 
may please him who hath chosen him to 
be a soldier. That is, who has enlisted 
him, or in whose employ he is. His # 
great object is to approve himself to* 
him. It is not to pursue his own plans, 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER II. 



213 



this life; that hfc may please him 
who hath chosen him to be a sol- 
dier. 

5 And if a man also strive for 
masteries, yet is he not crowned, 
except he strive lawfully. 

1 laboring first, must be partaker. 

or to have his own will, or to accumu- 
late property or fame for himself. His 
-will is absorbed in the will of his com- 
mander, and his. purpose is accom- 
plished if he meets with his approba- 
tion. Nowhere else is it so true that 
the will of one becomes lost in that 
of another as in the case of the soldier. 
In an army it is contemplated that 
there shall be but one mind, one heart, 
one purpose — that of the commander; 
and that the whole army shall be as 
obedient to that as the members of 
the human body are to the one will 
that controls all. The application of 
this is obvious. The grand purpose 
of the minister of the Gospel is to 
please Christ. He is to pursue no 
separate plans, and to have no sepa- 
rate will of his own ; and it is contem- 
plated that the whole corps of Chris- 
tian ministers and members of the 
churches shall be as entirely subordi- 
nate to the will of Christ as an army 
is to the orders of its chief. 

5. And if a man also strive for master- 
ies. As in the Grecian games. See 
this favorite illustration of Paul ex- 
plained in the Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 24, 
seq. Tf Yet is he not crowned except he 
strive lawfully. In conformity with 
the rules of the games. See Grotius, 
in loc. No one could obtain the prize 
unless he had complied with all the 
laws of the games, and had thus given 
to those with whom he contended, a 
fair opportunity to succeed. "In 
those contests, he who transgressed 
the rules in the least matter, not only 
failed of the prize, even though the 
apparent victor, but was sometimes 
disgraced and punished." — Pict. Bib. 
So the apostle here represents the 
Christian minister as engaged in a 
struggle or conflict for the crown. He 
says that he could not hope to win it 
unless he should comply with all the 
laws by which it is conferred ; unless 
he should subdue every improper pro- 
pensity, and make an effort like that 
evinced by the combatants at the 
Olympic games. Comp. Notes on 1 
Cor. ix. 26, 27. 

m 



6 The husbandman 1 that labour- 
eth must be first partaker of the 
fruits. 

7 Consider a what I say ; and the 
b Lord give thee understanding in 
all things. 

a 1 Tim. 4. 15. b Prov. 2. 6. 

6. The husbandman that laboreth. 
The margin is, "laboring first, must be 
partaker" The idea, according to 
the translation in the text, is, that 
there is a fitness or propriety (ott) 
that the man who cultivates the earth 
should enjoy the fruits of his labor. 
See the same image explained in the 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 10. But if this be 
the meaniug here, it is not easy to see 
why the apostle introduces it. Ac- 
cording to the marginal reading, the 
word "first" is introduced in connec- 
tion with the word labor — "laboring 
first, must be partaker." That is, it is 
a great law that the husbandman must 
work before he receives a harvest. 
This sense will accord with the pur- 
pose of the apostle. It was to remind 
Timothy that labor must precede re- 
ward; that if a man would reap, he 
must sow ; that he could hope for no 
fruits, unless he toiled for them. The 
point was not that the husbandman 
would be the first one who would par- 
take of the fruits ; but that he must 
first labor before he obtained the re- 
ward. Thus understood, this would 
be an encouragement to Timothy to 
persevere in his toils, looking onward 
to the reward. The Greek will bear 
this construction, though it is not the 
most obvious one. 

7. Consider what I say. See Notes 
onlTim.iv.15. The sense is, "Think 
of the condition of the soldier, and 
the principles on which he is enlisted, 
think of the aspirant for the crown in 
the Grecian games ; think of the farm- 
er, patiently toiling in the prospect of 
the distant harvest ; and then go to 
your work with a similar spirit." 
These things are worth attention. 
When the minister of the Gospel 
thinks of his hardships ; of his strug- 
gles against an evil world ; of his ar- 
duous and discouraging toil, let him 
think of the soldier, of the man who 
struggles for this world's honors, and 
of the patient farmer — and be content. 
How patiently do they bear all, and 
yet for what inferior rewards ! %And 
the Lord give thee understanding in all 



214 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



8 Remember that Jesus Christ, a 
of the seed of David, was raised 
from the dead according to my 
Gospel : 

a Rom. 1.3,4. 

things. Enable you to see the force 
of these considerations, and to apply 
them to your own case. Such are often 
the discouragements of the ministry ; 
so prone is the mind to despondency, 
that we need the help of the Lord to 
enable us to apply the most obvious 
considerations, and to derive support 
from the most plain and simple truths 
and promises. 

8. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the 
seed of David, was raised f rom the dead. 
Or rather, perhaps, " Remember J esus 
Christ ; him who was raised from the 
dead." The idea seems not to be, as 
our translators supposed, that he was 
to reflect on the fact that he was raised 
from the dead; but rather that he 
was to think of the Saviour himself. 
" Think of the Saviour, now raised up 
from the dead after all the sorrows of 
this life, and let this encourage you to 
bear your trials." There is nothing 
better fitted to enable us to endure 
the labors and trials of this life than 
to think of the Saviour. On the 
phrase, "seed of David," see Notes on 
Kom. i. 3. • According to my Gospel. 
The Gospel which I preach. See Notes 
on 2 Thess. ii. 14. 

9. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil- 
doer. As if I were a violator of the 
laws. That is, I am treated as if I were 
a criminal. % Even unto bonds. As if I 
were one of the worst kind of malefac- 
tors. See Notes on Eph. vi. 20. Dur- 
ing; the apostle's first imprisonment 
at Rome, he was permitted to "dwell 
in his own hired house," though 
guarded by a soldier, and probably 
chained to him. See Notes on Acts 
xxviii. 16, 30. What was his condition 
in his second imprisonment, during 
which this epistle was written, we 
have no means of knowing with cer- 
tainty. It is probable, however, that 
lie was subjected to much more rigid 
treatment than he had been in the first 
instance. The tradition is that he and 
Peter were together in the Mamertine 
prison at Rome, and the place is still 
shown in which it is said they were 
confined. The Mamertine prisons 
are of great antiquity. According to 
Livy, they were constructed by Ancus 
Martius, and enlarged by Servius Til- 



9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an 
evil-doer, even unto bonds; b but 
the word of God is not bound. 

10 Therefore I endure all things 

b Eph. 6. 20. 

.lius. The lower prison is supposed to 
have been once a quarry, and to have 
been at one time occupied as a granary. 
These prisons are on the descent of 
the Capitoline Mount, toward the 
Forum. They consist of two apart- 
ments, one over the other, built with 
large, uncemented stones. There is 
no entrance to either, except by a 
small aperture in the roof, and by a 
small hole in the upper floor, leading 
to the cell below, without any stair- 
case to either. The upper prison is 
twenty -seven feet long by twenty 
wide ; the lower one is elliptical, and 
measures twenty feet by ten. In the 
lower one is a small spring, which is 
said at Rome to have arisen at the 
command of Peter, to enable him to 
baptize his keepers, Processus and 
Martianus, with forty-seven compan- 
ions, whom he converted. No certain 
reliance can be placed on any part of 
this tradition, though in itself there 
is no improbability in supposing that 
these prisons may have been used for 
confining Christians, and the apostle 
Paul among others. If But the word of 
God is not bound. This is one of Paul's 
happy turns of thought. Corap. Acts 
xxvi. 29. The meaning is plain. The 
Gospel was prospered. That could not 
be fettered and imprisoned. It cir- 
culated with freedom, even when he 
who was appointed to preach it was 
in chains. See Phil. i. 13, 14. As this 
was the great matter, his own impris- 
onment was of comparatively little 
consequence. What may befall us is 
of secondary importance. The grand 
thing is the triumph of truth on the 
earth ; and well may we bear privations 
and sorrows if the Gospel moves on in 
triumph. 

10. Therefore I endure all tilings for 
the elecfs sakes. See Notes on 2 Cor. i. 
6. The sense is, what I suffer is in the 
cause of the Church, spoken of here, 
as it is often, as chosen, or elected. See 
Notes on Eph. i. 4. That they may 
also obtain the salvation, etc. Their 
salvation, though they were elected, 
could not he secured without proper 
efforts. The meaning of the apostle 
here is, that he was willing to suffer 
if he might save others ; and any one 



A.D. 05.] 

for the a elect's sakes, that they may 
also obtain the salvation which is 
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 

11 It is a faithful saying: For if 
b we be dead with him, we shall 
also live with him : 

12 If we suffer, we shall also reign 
with him: If we deny c him, he also 
will deny us ■ 

a 2 Cor. 1.6. 6 Rom. 6. 5,8. 

c Matt. 10.33. d Rom. 3. 3. 



ought to be willing to suffer in order 
to secure the salvation of the elect — 
for it was an object for which even the 
Son of God was willing to lay down 
his life. 

11. It is a faithful saying. Or, rather, 
that which he was about to say was 
worthy of entire credence and pro- 
found attention. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
i. 15. The object is to encourage Tim- 
othy to bear trials by the hope of sal- 
vation. If For if ive be dead with him. 
See Notes on Rom. vi. 8. If We shall 
also live with him. This was a sort of 
maxim, or a settled point, which is 
often referred to in the Bible. See 
Notes on Rom. vi. 3, 4, 5. Comp. John 
xi. 25; 1 Thess. iv. 14. 

12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with 
him. The meaning is, that the mem- 
bers will be treated as the Head is. 
We become united with him by faith, 
and, if we share his treatment on earth, 
we shall share his triumphs in heaven. 
See Notes on Rom. viii. 17. ^ If we 
deny him, he also will deny us. See 
Notes on Matt. x. 32, 33. 

13. If we believe not, yet he abideth 
faithful. , This can not mean that, if 
we live in sin, he will certainly save 
us, as if he had made any promise to 
the elect, or formed any purpose that 
he would save them, whatever might 
be their conduct; for (1.) the apostle 
had just said that if we deny him he 
will deny us ; and (2.) there is no such 
promise in the Bible, and no such pur- 
pose has been formed. The promise 
is, that he that is a believer shall be 
saved, and there is no purpose to save 
any but such as lead holy lives. The 
meaning must be, that if we are unbe- 
lieving and unfaithful, Christ will re- 
main true to his word, and we can not 
hope to be saved. The object of the 
apostle evidently is to excite Timo- 
thy to fidelity in the performance of 
duty, and to encourage him to bear 
trials, by the assurance that we can 



215 

13 If^we believe not, yet he 
abideth faithful : he e can not.deny 
himself. 

14 Of these things ^vXfthem in 
remembrance, charging them be- 
fore the Lord that they strive 9 not 
about words to no profit, but to the 
subverting of the hearers. 

15 Study h to show thyself ap- 

e Num. 23. 19. / 2 Pet. 1. 13. 

g Tit. 3. 9, 10. h 2 Pet. 1. 10. 

not hope to escape if we are not faith- 
ful to the cause of the Saviour. This 
interpretation accords with the design 
which he had in view. If He can not 
deny himself . Implying that it would 
be a denial of his very nature to save 
those who are unfaithful. He is holy; 
and how can he save one who is un- 
holy? His very nature is purity; and 
how can he save one who has no pu- 
rity? Let no one, then, suppose that, 
because he is elected, he is safe, if he 
lives in sin. The electing purpose of 
God, indeed, makes salvation sure; 
but it is only for those who lead right- 
eous lives. Nothing would be more 
dishonorable for God than to resolve 
to save a man that lived habitually in 
sin; and if that were the doctrine of 
election, it would deserve all the op- 
probrium that has ever been heaped 
upon it. 

14. Of these things put them in remem- 
brance. These great principles in re- 
gard to the kingdom of Christ. They 
would be as useful to others as they 
were for Timothy, to whom they were 
specially addressed. If Charging them 
before the Lord. In the presence of 
the Lord, implying that it was a very 
important matter. See Notes on 1 
Tim. i. 18. Tf That they strive not about 
words to no profit. See Notes on 1 
Tim. i. 6 ; vi. 4. If But to the subverting 
of the hearers. Turning them away 
from the simplicity of faith. It is 
rare, indeed, that a religious contro- 
versy does not produce this effect, and 
this is commonly the case, where, as 
often happens, the matter in dispute 
is of little importance. 

15. Study to show thyself approved unto 
God. Give diligence (2 Pet. ii. 10), or 
make an effort so to discharge the du- 
ties of the ministerial office as to 
meet the divine approbation. The ob- 
ject of the ministry is not to please 
men. Such doctrines should be 
preached, and such plans formed, and 



CHAPTER II. 



216 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



proved unto God, a workman that 
needeth not to be ashamed, right- 
ly a dividing the word of truth. 

16 But shun profane and vain 
babblings; for they will increase 
unto more ungodliness : 

17 And their word will eat as 

a Matt. 13. 52. 1 gangrene. 

such a manner of life pursued, as God 
will approve. To do this demands 
study or care— -for there are many temp- 
tations to the opposite course ; there 
are many things the tendency of which 
is to lead a minister to seek popular 
favor rather than the divine approval. 
If any man please God, it will be as 
the result of deliberate intention and 
a careful life. % A workman that need- 
eth not to be ashamed. A man faithfully 
performing his duty, so that when he 
looks over what he has done he need 
not blush. T[ Rightly dividing the word 
of truth. The word here rendered 
" rightly dividing," occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. It means, 
properly, to cut straight,' to divide right; 
and the allusion here may be to a 
steward who makes a proper distribu- 
tion to each one under his care of such 
things as his office and their necessi- 
ties require. Comp. Notes on Matt, 
xiii. 52. Some have supposed that 
there is an allusion here to the Jew- 
ish priest cutting or dividing the sac- 
rifice into proper parts ; others, that 
the allusion is to the Scribes dividing 
the law into sections; others, to a 
carver distributing food to the guests 
at a feast. Robinson (Lex.) renders it, 
" rightly proceeding as to the word of 
truth;" that is, rightly and skillfully 
teaching the word of truth. The idea 
seems to be, that the minister of the 
Gospel is to make a proper distribu- 
tion of that word, adapting his in- 
structions to the circumstances and 
wants of his hearers, and giving to each 
that which will be fitted to nourish 
the soul for heaven. 

16. But shun profane and vain bab- 
blings. See Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 20. 
IT For they will increase unto more un- 
godliness. Their tendency is to alien- 
ate the soul from God, and to lead to 
impiety. Such kinds of disputation 
are not merely a waste of time, they 
are productive of positive mischief. 
A man fond of contention in religious 
things is seldom one who has much 
love for the practical duties of piety, 



doth a canker : 1 of whom is Hy- 
meneus and Philetus ; 

18 Who concerning the truth have 
erred, h saying c That the resurrec- 
tion is past already; and over- 
throw the faith of some. 

19 Nevertheless the foundation 

b 1 Tim. 6. 21. cl Cor. 15. 12. 

or any very deep sense of the distinc- 
tion between right and wrong. You 
will not usually look for such a man 
in the place of prayer, nor can you ex- 
pect his aid in the conversion of sin- 
ners, nor will you find that he has any 
very strict views of religious obliga- 
tion. 

17. And their word. The word, or 
the discourses of those who love vain 
and idle disputations. H Will eat as 
doth a canker. Marg. , gangrene. This 
word — ydyypaLva — occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. It is de- 
rived from ypa iw, ypaivw, graio or 
graino, to devour, corrode, and means 
gangrene or mortification — the death of 
a part, spreading, unless arrested, by 
degrees over the whole body. The 
words rendered "will eat," mean will 
have nutriment; that is, will spread 
over and consume the healthful parts. 
It will not merely destroy the parts 
immediately affected, but will extend 
into the surrounding healthy parts 
and destroy them also. Thus it is 
with erroneous doctrines. They will 
not merely eat out the truth in the 
particular matter to which they refer, 
but they will also spread over and cor- 
rupt other truths. The doctrines of 
religion are closely connected, and are 
dependent on each other — like the 
different parts of the human body. 
One can not be corrupted without af- 
fecting those adjacent to it, and, un- 
less checked, the corruption will soon 
spread over the whole. If Of whom is 
Hymeneus and Philetus. In regard to 
Hymeneus, see Notes on 1 Tim. i. 20. 
Of Philetus nothing more is known. 
These men have gained an undesirable 
immortality, destined to be known to 
the end of time only as the advocates 
of error. 

18. Who concerning the truth have 
erred. To what extent they had erred 
is unknown. Paul mentions only one 
point — that pertaining to the resur- 
rection ; but he says that this was like 
a gangrene. It would certainly, un- 
less checked, destroy all the other 



A.D. 65.] 

a of God standetli 1 sure, having 
this seal, The Lord h knoweth them 
that are his. And, Let 6 every one 

a Prov. 10. 25. 1 or, steady. 

doctrines of religion. No man can 
safely hold a single error, any more 
than he can safely have one part of 
his body in a state of mortification. 
^Saying, that the resurrection is past al- 
ready. It is not known in what form 
they held this opinion. It may have 
been, as Augustine supposes, that 
they taught that there was no resur- 
rection but that which occurs in the 
soul when it is recovered from the 
death of sin, and made to live anew. 
Or it may be that they held that those 
who had died had experienced all the 
resurrection which they ever would, 
by passing into another state, and re- 
ceiving at death a spiritual body fitted 
to their mode of being in the heaven- 
ly world. Whatever was the form of 
the opinion, the apostle regarded it 
as a most dangerous error, for just 
views of the resurrection undoubted- 
ly lie at the foundation of correct ap- 
prehensions of the Christian system. 
Com p. Notes on 1 Cor. xv. 12-19. 
1" And overthrow the faith of some. That 
is, on this point, and as would ap- 
pear, on all the correlative subjects 
of Christian belief. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 
19, 20, 

19. Nevertheless the foundation of God 
is sure. Mai' g., steady. The meaning 
is, that though some had been turned 
away by the arts of these errorists, yet 
the foundation of the Church which 
God had laid remained firm. Comp. 
Eph. ii. 20: "And are built upon the 
foundation of the apostles and proph- 
ets, Jesus Christ himself being the 
chief corner-stone." As long as this 
foundation remains firm there is no 
reason to be troubled from the few 
instances of apostasy which may have 
occurred. Comp. Psa. xi. 3. It is not 
uncommon to compare the Church to 
a building erected on a solid founda- 
tion. Eph. ii. 20, 21 ; 1 Cor. hi. 9, 10 ; 
Matt. xvi. 18. Saving this seal. Or 
rather a seal with this inscription. 
The word seal is sometimes used to 
denote the instrument by which an 
impression is made, and sometimes 
the impression or inscription itself. 
A seal is used for security (Matt, xxvii. 
66), or as a mark of genuineness. Rev. 
ix. 4. The seal here is one that was af- 
fixed to the foundation, and seems to 
K 



217 

that nameth the name of Christ 
depart from iniquity. 
20 But in a great house there are 

b Nah. 1 . 7. Jno. 10. 14, 27. c Psa. 97. 10. 

refer to some inscription on the foun- 
dation-stone which always remained 
there, and which denoted the charac- 
ter and design of the edifice. The al- 
lusion is to the custom, in rearing an 
edifice, of inscribing the name of the 
builder and the design of the edifice 
on the corner-stone. See Rosenmiil- 
ler, Alte u. neue Morgenland, No. 405. 
So the Church of Christ is a building 
reared by the hands of God. Its foun- 
dation has been firmly and securely 
laid, and on that foundation there is 
an inscription always remaining which 
determines the character of the edi- 
fice. U The Lord knoweth them that are 
his. This is one of the inscriptions on 
the foundation-stone of the Church, 
which serves to mark the character of 
the building. It always stands there, 
no matter who apostatizes. It is at 
the same time a fearful inscription — 
showing that no one can deceive God ; 
that he is intimately acquainted with 
all who enter that building; that in 
the multitudes of those which enter 
there his friends and foes are intimate- 
ly known. He can separate his own 
friends from all others, and his con- 
stant care will be extended to all who 
are truly his own, to keep them from 
falling. This has the appearance of 
being a quotation, but no such pas- 
sage is found in the Old Testament in 
so many words. In Nahum i. 7, the 
following words are found : " And he 
knoweth them that trust in him;'' 
and it is possible that Paul may have 
had that in his eye, but it is not neces- 
sary to suppose that he designed it as 
a quotation. A phrase somewhat sim- 
ilar to this is found in Numb. xvi. 5 : 
u the Lord will show who are his;" 
rendered in the Septuagint, "God 
knoweth who are his;" and Whitby 
supposes that this is the passage re- 
ferred to. But whether Paul had 
these passages in view or not, it is 
clear that he meant to say that it is 
one of the fundamental things in re- 
ligion that God knows who are his 
own people, and that he will preserve 
them from the danger of making ship- 
wreck of their faith. ^ And, Let every 
one thatjiameth the name of Christ de- 
part froTfeniquity. This is the other 
seal or inscription which is made on 



CHAPTER II. 



218 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



not only vessels a of gold and of 
silver, but also of wood and of 
earth ; and some to honour, and 
some to dishonour. 
21 If b a man therefore purge him- 

. a Rom. 9. 21. 6 Jer. 15. 19. 



the foundation which God has laid. 
The foundation has two inscriptions 
— the first implying that God knows 
all who are his own people; the oth- 
er, that all who are his professed peo- 
ple should depart from evil. This is 
not found in so many words in the 
Old Testament, and, like the former, 
it is not to be regarded as a quota- 
tion. The meaning is, that it is an 
elementary principle in the true 
Church, that all who become members 
of it must lead holy lives. It is also 
true that they will lead holy lives, and 
amid all the defections of errorists, 
and all their attempts to draw away 
others from the true faith, those may 
be known to be the true people of 
God who do avoid evil. 

20. But in a great house. Still keep- 
ing up the comparison of the Church 
with a building. The idea is, that the 
Church is a large edifice, and that in 
such a building we are not to expect 
entire uniformity in all the articles 
which it contains. *J[ There are not only 
vessels of gold and of silver, etc. You 
are not to expect to find all the arti- 
cles of furniture alike, or all made of 
the same material. Variety in the 
form, the use, and the material, is nec- 
essary in furnishing such a house. 

And some to honor, and some to dishon- 
or. Some to most honorable uses — 
as drinking-vessels, and vessels to con- 
tain costly viands, and some for the 
less honorable purposes connected 
with cooking, etc. The same thing is 
to be expected in the Church. See 
this idea illustrated at greater length 
under another figure in the Notes on 
1 Cor. xii. 14-26. Comp. Notes on 
Rom. ix. 21. The application here 
seems to be, that in the Church it is 
to be presumed that there will be a 
great variety of gifts and attainments, 
and that we are no more to expect 
that all will be alike than we are that 
all the vessels in a large house will be 
made of gold. 

21. If a man therefore purge himself 
from these, he shall be a vessel unto hon- 
or. If a man cleanse or p?mjjphimself. 
Comp. Notes on J ohn xv. 2. The word 



self from these, he shall be a vessel 
unto honour, sanctified, and meet 
for the master's use, and prepared 
c unto every good work. 
22 Flee d also youthful lusts: but * 

cc.3.17. dEccl.Il.9,10. eHeb. 12. 14. 



" these''' refers here to the persons rep- 
resented by the vessels of wood and 
of earth— the vessels made to dishon- 
or, as mentioned in the previous verse. 
The idea is, that if one would pre- 
serve himself from the corrupting in- 
fluence of such men, he would be fit- 
ted to be a vessel of honor, or to be 
employed in the rnost useful and hon- 
orable service in the cause of his Mas- 
ter. On the word vessel, see Notes on 
Acts ix. 15. ^And meet for the Mas- 
ter's use. Fit to be employed by the 
Lord Jesus in promoting his work on 
earth. 

22. Flee also youthful lusts. Such 
passions as youth are subject to. On 
the word fee, and the pertinency of its 
use in such a connection, see Notes 
on 1 Cor. vi. 18. Paul felt that Timo- 
thy, then a young man, was subject 
to the same passions as other young 
men ; and hence his repeated cautions 
to him to avoid all those things, aris- 
ing from his youth, which might be 
the occasion of scandal. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Tim. iv. 12 ; v. 2. It is to be re- 
membered that this epistle is applica- 
ble to other ministers, as well as to 
Timothy ; and, to a young man in the 
ministry, no counsel could be more 
appropriate than to u FLEE/rom youth- 
ful lusts/ 1 not to indulge for a mo- 
ment in those corrupt passions to 
which youth are subject, but to culti- 
vate the pure and sober virtues which 
become the ministerial office. *fiBut 
follow righteousness, etc. Comp. Notes 
on Heb.'xii. 14. The general meaning 
here is, that he was to practice all that 
is good and virtuous. He was to prac- 
tice righteousness, or justice and equity, 
in all his dealings with men; faith, or 
fidelity in his duties ; charity, or love 
to all men (See Notes on 1 Cor. xiii.) ; 
peace, or harmony and concord with 
all others. What virtues could be 
more appropriate for a minister of the 
Gospel ? T[ With them that call on the 
lord out of a pure heart. That is, with 
all Christians, whf are often charac- 
terized as those who call on the Lord. 
1 Cor. i. 2. Comp. Acts ix. 11. In all 
his intercourse with them, Timothy 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER II. 



219 



follow righteousness, faith, charity, 
peace, with them that call a on the 
Lord out of a pure heart. 

23 But foolish and unlearned 
questions b avoid , k n o w i n g that 
they do gender strifes. 

a 1 Cor. 1. 2. M± b ver. 16. 



was to manifest the virtues above rec- 
ommended. But not with them alone. 
It would be incumbent on him to ex- 
hibit the same virtues in his inter- 
course with all. 

23. But foolish and unlearned questions 
awid. See Notes on ver. 16. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. i. 4, 6 ; iv. 7. The 
word unlearned, here, means trifling ; 
that which does not tend to edification; 
stupid. The Greeks and the Hebrews 
were greatly given to controversies of 
various kinds, and many of the ques- 
tions discussed pertained to points 
w r hich could not be settled, or which, 
if settled, were of no importance. 
Such has been the character of no 
small part of the disputes which have 
agitated the world. Paul correctly 
sa} 7 s that the only effect of such dis- 
putes is to engender harsh contention. 
Points of real importance can be dis- 
cussed with no injury to the temper; 
but men can not safely dispute about 
trifles. 

24. And the servant of the Lord. Re- 
ferring here primarily to the Christian 
minister, but applicable to all Chris- 
tians ; for all profess to be the servants 
of the Lord. H Must not strive. He 
may calmly inquire after truth; he 
may discuss points of morals or the- 
ology, if he w^ll do it with a proper 
spirit; he may "contend earnestly for 
the faith once delivered to the saints" 
(Jude 3); but he may not do that 
which is here mentioned as strife. The 
Greek word — /xax £<T ^ ai — commonly 
denotes to fight, to make war, to con- 
tend, IriUohn vi. 52 ; Acts vii. 26 ; 2 
Tim. ii. 24, it is rendered strove and 
strive; in James iv. 2, fight. It is not 
elsewhere used in the New Testament. 
The meaning is that the servant of 
Christ should be a man of peace. He 
should not indulge in the feelings 
which commonly give rise to conten- 
tion, and which usually characterize 
it. He should not struggle for mere 
victory, even when endeavoring to 
maintain the truth ; but he should de- 
fend the truth, in all cases, with a kind 
spirit and a mild temper ; with entire 



24 And the servant of the Lord 
must not strive; but be gentle 
unto all men, apt to teach, 1 patient, 

25 In meekness c instructing those 
that oppose themselves; if God 
peradventure d will give them re- 

1 or, forbearing. c Gal. 6. 1. d Acts 8. 22. 



candor; with nothing designed to pro- 
voke and irritate an adversary ; and so 
that, whatever may be the result of 
the discussion, "the bond of peace" 
may, if possible, be preserved. Comp. 
Notes on Rom. xii. 18. % But be gen- 
tie unto all men. See Notes on 1 Thess. 
ii. 7. The word rendered gentle does 
not occur elsewhere in the New Tes- 
tament. It means that the Christian 
minister is to be meek and mild to- 
ward all ; not disputatious and quar- 
relsome. T[ Apt to teach. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. iii. 2. If Patient. Marg., 
forbearing. The Greek word here used 
does not elsewhere occur in the New 
Testament. It means, patient under 
evils and injuries. — Rob.,i^. Comp. 
Notes on Eph. iv. 2 ; Col. iii. 13. 

25. In meekness instructing those that 
oppose themselves. That is, those who 
embrace error, and array themselves 
against the truth. We are not to be- 
come angry with such persons, or to 
denounce them at once as heretics. 
We are not to hold them up to public 
reproach and scorn ; but we are to set 
about the business of patiently in- 
structing them. Their grand difficulty, 
it is supposed in this direction, is that 
they are ignorant of the truth. Our 
business with them is, calmly to show 
them what the truth is. lithey are angry, 
we are not to be. If they oppose the 
truth, we are still calmly to state it to 
them. If they are slow to see it, we 
are not to become weary or impatient. 
Nor, if they do not embrace it at all, are 
we to become angry with them, and 
denounce them. We may pity them, 
but we need not use hard words. This 
is the apostolic precept about the way 
of treating those who are in error; 
and can any one fail to see its beauty 
and propriety? Let it be remembered, 
also, that this is not only beautiful and 
proper in itself; it is the ivisest course, 
if we would bring others over to our 
opinions. You are not likely to con- 
vince a man that you are right, andthat 
he is wrong, if you first make him an- 
gry; nor are you very likely to do it 
if you show that you are angry. You 



220 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



pentance to the acknowledging a 
of the truth. 
26 And that they may 1 recover 

a Tit. 1. 1. 1 awake. 

then put him on his guard ; you make 
him a party, and, from self-respect, or 
pride, or anger, he will endeavor to 
defend his own opinions, and will not 
yield to yours. Meekness and gentleness 
are the very best things, if you wish 
to convince another that he is wrong. 
Win his heart first, and then modestly 
and kindly show him what the truth is, 
in as few words and with as unassum- 
ing a spirit as possible, and you have 
him. % If God peradventure will give 
them repentance, etc. Give them such 
a view of the error which they have 
embraced, and such regret for having 
embraced it, that they will be willing 
to admit the truth. After all our care 
in teaching others the truth, our only 
dependence is on God for its success. 
We can not be absolutely certain that 
they will see their error ; we can not 
rely certainly on any power which 
argument will have ; we can only hope 
that God may show them their error, 
and enable them to see and embrace 
the truth. Comp. Acts xi. 18. The 
word rendered peradventure here — 
fxrjTTOTE — means, usually, not even, nev- 
er ; and then, that never, lest ever — the 
same as lest perhaps. It is translated 
lest at any time, Matt. iv. 6 ; v. 25 ; xiii. 
15 ; Mark iv. 12 ; Luke xxi. 34 ; lest, 
Matt, vii, 6 ; xiii. 29 ; xv. 32, et al. ; lest 
haply, Lukexiv. 12; Acts v. 39. It does 
not imply that there was any chance 
about what is said, but rather that 
there was uncertainty in the mind of 
the speaker, and that there was need 
of caution lest something should oc- 
cur; or lest any thing was done, or 
should be done, to prevent something 
from happening. It is not used else- 
where in the New Testament in the 
sense which our translators, and all 
the critics, so far as I have examined, 
give to it here— as implying a hope 
that God would give them repentance, 
etc. Bat I may be permitted to sug- 
gest another interpretation, which will 
accord with the uniform meaning of 
the word in the New Testament, and 
which will refer the matter to those 
who had embraced the error, and not 
to God. It is this : " In meekness in- 
structing those that oppose themselves 
(avTLdiaTiSrt/J.tvov's) lest — /uli'tttote — God 

should give them repentance, and they 



themselves out of the snare 6 of the 
devil, who are taken 2 captive by 
him at his will. 

b 1 Tim. 3. 7. 2 alive. 

should recover themselves out of the 
snare of the devil," etc. That is, they 
put themselves in this i^jture of op- 
position so that they^Ball not be 
brought to repentance, and recover 
themselves. They do it with a pre- 
cautionary view that they may not be 
thus brought to repentance, and be 
recovered to God. They take this 
position of opposition to the truth, 
intending not to be converted ; and 
this is the reason why they are not 
converted. 

26. And that they may recover them- 
selves. Marg., awake. The word which 
is rendered recover in the text, and 
awake in the margin — avavii\J/oo<nv — 
occurs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment. It properly means, to become 
sober again, as from inebriation ; to 
awake from a deep sleep ; and then, to 
come to a right mind, as one does who 
is aroused from a state of inebriety or 
from sleep. The representation in 
this part of the verse implies that, 
while under the influence of error, 
they were like a man intoxicated, or 
like one in deep slumber. From this 
state they were to be aroused, as one 
is from sleep, or as a man is recovered 
from the stupor and dullness of intox- 
ication. Out of the snare of the devil. 
The snare which the devil has spread 
for them, and in which they have be- 
come entangled. There is a little con- 
fusion of metaphor here, since, in the 
first part of the verse, they are repre- 
sented as asleep or intoxicated ; and, 
here, as taken in a snare. Yet the 
general idea is clear. In one part of 
the verse the influence of error is rep- 
resented as producing sleep or stu- 
por ; in the other, as being taken in a 
snare or net; and, in botM)Hhe idea 
is, that an effort was to be made that 
they might be rescued from this peril- 
ous condition. If Who are taken cap- 
tive by him at his will. Marg., alive. 
The Greek word means, properly, to 
take alive ; and then, to take captive, 
to win over (Luke v. 10); and then, to 
ensnare or seduce. Here it means 
that they hadvbeen ensnared by the 
arts of Satan unto (ds) his will; that is, 
they were so influenced by him that 
they complied with his will. Another 
interpretation of this passage should 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER III. 



221 



CHAPTER III. 

THIS know also, that in the last 
days perilous times shall come. 

a 1 Tim. 4.1. 2 Pet. 3. 3 1 John 2.18. Jude 17,18. 



2 Foremen shall be lovers of 
their own selves, covetous, boast- 
ers, proud, blasphemers, disobe- 



b Rom. 1.29-31. 



be mentioned here, by which it is pro- 
posed to avoid the incongruousness 
of the metaphor of awaking one from 
a snare. It is adopted by Doddridge, 
and is suggested also by Burder, as 
quoted by Rosenmuller, A. u. n. JSIor- 
genland. According to this, the refer- 
ence is to an artifice of fowlers to scat- 
ter seeds impregnated with some in- 
toxicating drugs, intended to lay birds 
asleep, that they may draw the snare 
over them more securely. There can 
be no doubt that such arts were prac- 
ticed, and it is possible that Paul may 
have alluded to it. Whatever is the' 
allusion, the general idea is clear. It 
is an affecting representation of those 
who have fallen into error. They are 
in a deep slumber. They are as if un- 
der the fatal influence of some stupe- 
fying potion. They are like birds 
taken alive in this state, and at the 
mercy of the fowler. They will re- 
main in this condition unless they 
shall be roused by the mercy of God ; 
and it is the business of the ministers 
of religion to carry to them that Gos- 
pel which God is accustomed to bless 
in showing men their danger. That 
message should be continually sound- 
ed in the ears of the sinner, with the 
prayer and the hope that God will make 
it the means of arousing him to seek 
his salvation. 

CHAPTER III. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

In the first part of this chapter 
(ver. 1-8) Paul reminds Timothy of 
the great apostasy which was to be ex- 
pected in the Church, and states some 
of the characteristics of it. In ver. 9 
he says that that apostasy would not 
always continue; but would be at 
some time arrested, and so arrested as 
to show to all men the folly of those 
who were concerned in it. In vs. 11, 
12, he refers Timothy to his own man- 
ner of life in the midst of persecu- 
tions, as an encouragement to him to 
bear the trials which might be expect- 
ed to occur to him in a similar manner. 
"Perilous times" were to come, and 
Timothy might be expected to be called 
to pass through trials similar to those 
which Paul himself had experienced. 
In those times the remembrance of 



his example would be invaluable. In 
vs. 12, 13, he assures Timothy that 
persecutions and trials were to be ex- 
pected by all who aimed to lead holy 
lives, and that it was as certainly to be 
expected that evil men would become 
worse and worse. And in ver. 14-17 he 
exhorts him to be steadfast in main- 
taining the truth ; and, to encourage 
him to do this, reminds him of his 
early training in the Holy Scriptures, 
and of the value of those Scriptures. 
To the Scriptures he might repair in 
B all times of trial, and find support in 
the divine promises. What he had 
learned there was the inspired truth 
of God, and was able to make him 
wise, and to furnish him abundantly 
for all that he was to do or to suffer. 

1. This know also. The object of this 
reference to the perilous times which, 
were to occur was evidently to show 
the necessity of using every precaution 
to preserve the purity of the Church, 
from the fact that such sad scenes 
were to open upon it. The apostle 
had dwelt upon this subject in his first 
epistle to Timothy (ch. iv.), but its 
importance leads him to advert to it 
again. ^ In the last days. Under the 
Gospel dispensation; some time in 
that period during which the affairs 
of the world will be closed up. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 1, and Heb. i. 2. 
^Perilous times shall come. Times of 
danger, of persecution, and of trial. 
On the general meaning of this pas- 
sage, and the general characteristics 
of those times, the reader may consult 
the Notes on 2 Thess. ii. 1-12, and 1 
Tim. iv. 1-3. There can be no doubt 
that in all these passages the apostle 
refers to the same events. 

2. For men shall be lovers of their own 
selves. It will be one of the character- 
istics of those times that men will be 
eminently selfish — evidently under 
the garb of religion. Ver. 5. The word 
here used — (pikavTos — does not else- 
where occur in the New Testament. 
It means a lover of one's self, selfish. 
Such a love of self as to lead us to se- 
cure our salvation, is proper. But 
such regard to ourselves interferes 
with the rights and happiness of no 
other persons. The selfishness which 



222 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



client to parents, unthankful, un- 
holy, 

3 Without natural affection, truce- 
breakers, 1 false accusers, inconti- 
nent, fierce, despisers of those that 
are good, 

1 or, makebates. . o 2 Pet. 2. 10, etc. 



4 Traitors, a heady, high-minded, 
h lovers of pleasures more than lov- 
ers of God ; 

5 Having c a form of godliness, 
but denying the power thereof: 
from such turn away. 



is here condemned is that regard to 
our own interests which interferes 
with the rights and comforts of oth- 
ers; which makes self the central and 
leading object of living; and which 
tramples on all that would interfere 
with that. As such, it is a base, a 
hateful, and a narrow passion ; but it 
has been so common in the world 
that no one can doubt the correct-^ 
ness of the prophecy of the apostle 
that it would exist u in the last times. 
II Covetous. Gr., Lovers of silver ; that 
is, of money. Luke vi. 14. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. vi. 10. If Boasters. See Notes 
on Rom. i. 30. ^ Proud. See Notes on 
Rom. i. 30. 1| Blasphemers. See Notes 
on Matt. ix. 3. *ff Disobedient to parents. 
See Notes on Rom. i. 30. If Unthank- 
ful. See Luke vi. 35. The word here 
used occurs in the New Testament 
only in these two places. Ingratitude 
has always been regarded as one of the 
worst of crimes. It is said here that 
it would characterize that wicked age 
of which the apostle speaks, and its 
prevalence would, as it always does, 
indicate a decline of religion. Re- 
ligion makes us grateful to every ben- 
efactor—to God and to man. 1f Un- 
holy. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 9. 

3. Without natural affection. See 
Notes on Rom. i. 31. If Trucebreakers. 
The same word in Rom. i. 31, is ren- 
dered implacable. See Notes on that 
verse. It properly means without 
treaty ; that is, those who are averse 
to any treaty or compact. It may 
thus refer to those who are unwilling 
to enter into any agreement ; that is, 
either those who are unwilling to be 
reconciled to others when there is a 
variance — implacable; or those who 
disregard treaties or agreements. In 
either case, this marks a very corrupt 
condition of society. Nothing would 
be more indicative of the lowest state 
of degradation than that in which all 
compacts and agreements were utter- 
ly disregarded. If False accusers. 
Marg., makebates. The word make- 
bate means one who excites conten- 
tions and quarrels.— Webster. The 



Greek here is SiafioXoi — devils — the 
primitive meaning of which is, calum- 
niator, slanderer, accuser. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Tim. iii. 11, where the word is 
rendered sla?iderers. ^Incontinent. 
1 Cor.vii. 5. Literally, without strength; 
that is, without strength to resist the 
solicitations of passion, or who readi- 
ly yield to it. If Fierce. The Greek 
word used here — avnixtpo<s — does not 
elsewhere occur in the New Testa- 
ment. It means ungentle, harsh, se- 
vere, and is the opposite of gentleness 
and mildness. Religion produces gen- 
tleness ; the want of it makes men 
rough, harsh, cruel. Comp. Notes on 
ch. ii. 24. If Despisers of those that are 
good. In Titus i. 8, it is said of a bish- 
op that he must be u a lover of good 
men." This, in every condition of 
life, is a virtue, and hence the oppo- 
site of it is here set down as one of 
the characteristics of that evil age of 
which the apostle speaks. 

4. Traitors. This word is used in 
the New Testament only here and in 
Luke vi. 16, Acts vii. 52. It means 
any one who betrays — whether it be 
a friend or his countiw. Treason has 
been in all ages regarded as one of the 
worst crimes that man can commit. 
1 Heady. The same word in Acts xix. 
36, is rendered rashly. It occurs only 
there and in this place in the New 
Testament. It properly means fall- 
ing forward; prone, inclined, ready to 
do any thing; then precipitate, headlong, 
rash. It is opposed to that which is 
deliberate and calm, and here means 
that men would be ready to do any 
thing without deliberation, or regard 
for the consequences. They would 
engage in enterprises which would 
only disturb society, or prove their 
own ruin. If High-minded. Literally, 
puffed up. Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 
6, where the same word is rendered 
lifted up with pride. The meaning is, 
that they w r ould be inflated with pride 
or self-conceit. *ff Lovers of pleasures 
more than lovers of God. That is, of 
sensual pleasures, or vain amusements. 
This has been, and is, the characteris- 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER III. 



223 



G For of this sort are they which | tive silly women laden with sins, 
1 creep into houses, and lead cap- led away with divers lusts, 

a Tit. 1. 11. 



tic of a great part of the world, and 
has often distinguished even many 
who profess religion. Of a large por- 
tion of mankindlt may be said that it 
is their characteristic that they live 
for pleasure ; they have no serious pur- 
suits ; they brook no restraints which 
interfere with their amusements, and 
they greatly prefer the pleasures to be 
found in the gay assembly, in the ball- 
room, or in the place of low dissipa- 
tion, to the friendship of their Creator. 

5. Having a form of godliness. That 
is, they profess religion, or are in con- 
nection with the Church. This shows 
that the apostle referred to some great 
corruption in the Church ; and there 
can be little doubt that he had his 
eye on the same great apostasy to 
which he refers in 2 Uyess. ii., and 1 
Tim. iv. All the thin" to which he 
refers here have been practiced and 
tolerated in that apostate Church; 
while no body of men, at any time, 
have been more zealous in maintain- 
ing a form of godliness ; that is, in 
keeping up the forms of religion. *[f But 
denying the power thereof. Opposing 
the real power of religion ; not allow- 
ing it to exert any influence on their 
lives. It imposes no restraint on their 
passions and carnal propensities, but 
in all respects, except in the form of 
religion, they live as if they had none. 
This has been common in the world. 
The most regular and bigoted adher- 
ence to the forms of religion furnishes 
no evidence in itself that there is any 
true piety at heart, or that true relig- 
ion has any actual control over the 
soul. It is much easier for men to ob- 
serve the forms of religion than it is 
to bring the heart under its control- 
ling influence. ^ From such turn away. 
Have no intercourse with them as if 
they were Christians ; show no coun- 
tenance to their religion; do not as- 
sociate with them. Comp. 2 John, 10, 
lflBfeee Notes on 2 Cor. vi. 17. 

6. For of this sort are they which creep 
into houses. Who go slyly and insidi- 
ously into families. They are not I 
open and manly in endeavoring to 
propagate their views, but they en- 
deavor by their address to ingratiate 
themselves first with weak women, 
and through them to influence men. j 
Comp. Titus i. 11. The word trans- I 



lated "creep into 1 ' is rendered by • 
Doddridge, insinuate themselves ; by 
Bloomfield, wind their way into, in the 
manner of serpents; by Bretschnei- 
der, deceitfully enter; by Robinson and 
Passow, go in, enter in. It is not cer- 
tain that the idea of deceit or cunning 
is contained in this word, yet the whole 
complexion of the passage implies that 
they made their way by art and de- 
ceitful tricks. % And lead captive silly 
women. One of the tricks always play- 
ed by the advocates of error, and one 
of the ways by which they seek to pro- 
mote their purposes, Satan began his 
work of temptation with Eve rather 
than with Adam, and the advocates of 
error usually follow his example. 
There are always weak-minded wom- 
en enough in any communit} 7 to give 
an opportunity of practicing these 
arts, and often the aims of the impos- 
tor and deceiver can be best secured 
by appealing to them. Such women 
are easily flattered ; they are charmed 
by the graceful manners of religious 
instructors ; they lend a willing ear 
to any thing that has the appearance 
of religion, and their hearts are open 
to any thing that promises to advance 
the welfare of the world. At the same 
time, they are just such persons as the 
propagators of error can rely on. They 
have leisure ; they have wealth ; they 
are busy ; they move about in society, 
and by~ their activity they obtain an 
influence to which they are by no 
means entitled by their piety or tal- 
ents. There are, indeed, very many 
women in the world who can not be 
so easily led away as men ; but it can 
not be denied also that there are those 
who are just adapted to the purposes 
of such as seek to spread plausible er- 
ror. The word rendered silly women, 
means, properly, little women, and then 
weak women. Tf Laden vnth sins. With 
so many sins that they seem to be our- 
dened with them. The idea is, that 
they are under the influence of sinful 
desires and propensities, and hence 
are better adapted to the purposes of 
deceivers. Led away with divers lusts. 
With various kinds of passions or de- 
sires — EiriSrv/jLias — such as pride, van- 
ity, the love of novelty, or a suscepti- 
bility to flattery, so as to make them 
an easy prey to'impostors. 



224 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



7 Ever learning, and never able 
to come to the knowledge of the 
truth. 

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres" 
withstood Moses, so do these also 

aExod. 7. 11. 



7. Ever learning. That is, these " sil- 
ly women for so the Greek demands. 
The idea is, that they seem to be dis- 
ciples and learners. They put them- 
selves wholly under the care of these 
professedly religious teachers, but 
they never acquire a true knowledge 
of the way of salvation. ^ And never 
able to come to the knoviledge of the truth. 
They may learn many things, but the 
true nature of religion they do not 
learn. There are many such persons 
in the world, who, whatever attention 
they may pay to religion, never under- 
stand its nature. Many obtain much 
speculative acquaintance with the doc- 
trines of Christianity, but never be- 
come savingly acquainted with the 
system ; many study the constitution 
and government of the Church, but 
remain strangers to practical piety ; 
many become familiar with the vari- 
ous philosophical theories of religion, 
but never become truly acquainted 
with what religion is ; and many em- 
brace visionary theories, who never 
show that they are influenced by the 
spirit of the Gospel. Nothing is more 
common than for persons to be very 
busy and active in religion, and even 
to learn many things about it, who 
still remain strangers to the saving 
power of the Gospel. 

8. Now as Jannes and Jambres with- 
stood Moses. The names of these two 
men are not elsewhere mentioned in 
the Bible. They are supposed to have 
been two of the magicians who resist- 
ed Moses (Exod. vii. 11, et al.\ and 
who opposed their miracles to those 
of Moses and Aaron. It is not cer- 
tain where the apostle obtained their 
names; but they are frequently men- 
tioned by the Hebrew writers, and also 
by other writers ; so that there can 
be no reasonable doubt that their 
names were correctly handed down by 
tradition. Nothing is more probable 
than that the names of the more dis- 
tinguished magicians who attempted 
to imitate the miracles of Moses would 
be preserved by tradition ; and though 
they are not mentioned by Moses him- 
self, and the Jews have told many ri- 



resist the truth : men b of corrupt 
minds, 1 reprobate concerning the 
faith. 

9 But they shall proceed no fur- 
ther : for their folly shall be man- 

b 1 Tim. 6. 5. 1 or, of no judgment. 

diculous stories respecting them, yet 
this should not lead us to doubt the 
truth of the tradition respecting their 
names. A full collection of the Jew- 
ish statements in regard to them may 
be found in Wetstein, in loc. They 
are also mentioned by Pliny, Nat. Hist. 
xxx., 7 ; and by Numenius, the philos- 
opher, as quoted by Eusebius, ix., 8, 
and Origen, against Celsus, p. 199. See 
Wetstein. By the rabbinical writers, 
they are sometimes mentioned as 
Egyptian magicians who opposed Mo- 
ses in Egypt, and sometimes as the 
sons of Balaam. The more common 
account is, ttot they were the princes 
of the Egy "an magicians. One of 
the Jewish rabbins represents them 
as having been convinced by the mir- 
acles of Moses, and as having become 
converts to the Hebrew religion. 
There is no reason to doubt that these 
were in fact the leading men who op- 
posed Moses in Egypt, by attempting 
to work counter miracles. The point 
of the remark of the apostle here is 
that they resisted Moses by attempt- 
ing to imitate his miracles, thus neu- 
tralizing the evidence that he was sent 
from God. In like manner, the per- 
sons here referred to opposed the 
progress of the Gospel by setting up 
a similar claim to that of the apostles ; 
by pretending to have as much author- 
ity as they had ; and by thus neutral- 
izing the claims of the true religion, 
and leading off weak-minded persons 
from the truth. This is often the 
most dangerous opposition that is 
made to religion. ^ Men of corrupt 
minds. Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 5. 
1[ Reprobate concerning the faith. So 
far as the Christian faith is concerned. 
On the word rendered reproba^^>$e 
Notes on Kom. i. 28. Comp. 1 Cfljrix. 
27, rendered cast-away; and 2 Cor. xiii. 
5. The margin here is, " of no judg- 
ment." The meaning is, that in re- 
spect to the Christian faith, or the doc- 
trines of religion, their views could not 
be approved, and they were not to be 
regarded as true teachers of religion. 

9. But they shall proceed no further. 
There is a certain point beyond which 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER III. 



225 



ifest unto all men, as their's also 
was. 



they will not be allowed to go. Their 
folly will become manifest, and the 
world will understand it. The apos- 
tle does not say how far these false 
teachers would be allowed to go, but 
that they would not be sundered al- 
ways to prosper and prevail. They 
might be plausible at first, and lead 
many astray ; they might, by art and 
cunning, cover up the real character 
of their system ; but there would be 
a fair development of it, and it would 
be seen to be folly. The statement 
here may be understood as a general 
truth in regard to error. It is often 
so plausible at first that it seems to 
be true. It wins the hearts of many 
persons, and leads them astray. It 
flatters them personally, or it flatters 
them with the hope of a better state 
of things in the Church and the 
world. But the time will always come 
when men will see thjp folly of it. Er- 
ror will advance only to a certain 
point, when it will be seen to be false- 
hood and folly, and when the world 
will arise and cast it off. In some 
cases, this point may be slower in be- 
ing reached than in others ; but there 
is a point beyond which error will 
not go. At the reformation under 
Luther that point had been reached, 
when the teachings of the great apos- 
tasy were seen to be "folly," and 
when the awakened intellect of the 
world would allow it to "proceed no 
further," and aroused itself and threw 
it off. In the workings of society, as 
well as by the direct appointment of 
God, there is a point beyond which 
error can not prevail ; and hence there 
is a certainty that truth will finally 
triumph. T[ For their folly shall be man- 
ifest unto all men. The world will see 
and understand what they are and 
what they teach. They will not be 
able always to deceive mankind by 
smooth sophistry and cunning arts. 
°^As their's also was. That of Jannes 
and J ambres. That is, it became man- 
ifest to all that they could not com- 
pete with Moses and Aaron ; that their 
claims to the power of working mir- 
acles were the mere arts of magicians, 
and that they had set up pretensions 
which they could not sustain. Comp. 
Exod. viii. 18, 19. In regard to the 
time to which the apostle referred in 
K2 



10 But thou hast 1 fully known 
my doctrine, manner of life, pur- 

1 or, been a diligent follower of. 

this description, it has already been 
observed (see Notes on ver. 1) that it 
was probably to that great apostasy 
of the "latter days" which he has 
described in 2 Thess. ii., and 1 Tim. iv. 
But there seems to be no reason to 
doubt that he had his eye immediate- 
ly on some persons who had appeared 
then, and who had evinced some of 
the traits which would characterize 
the great apostasy, and whose con- 
duct showed that the great "falling 
away" had already commenced. In 
2 Thess. ii. 7, he says that the " mys- 
tery of iniquity" was already at work, 
or was even then manifesting itself ; 
and the apostle undoubtedly saw that 
there had then commenced what he 
knew would yet grow up into the 
great defection from the truth. In 
some persons, at that time, who had 
the form of godliness but who denied 
its power ; who made use of insinu- 
ating arts to proselyte the weak and 
the credulous ; who endeavored to im- 
itate the true apostles, perhaps by at- 
tempting to work miracles, as Jannes 
and Jambres did, he saw the germ of 
what was yet to grow up into so gi- 
gantic a system of iniquity as to over- 
shadow the world. Yet he consoled 
Timothy with the assurance that there 
was a point beyond which the system 
of error would not be allowed to go, 
but where its folly must be seen, and 
where it would be arrested. 

10. But thou hast fully ~known my 
doctrine, etc. Marg., been a diligent 
follower of The margin is more in 
accordance with the usual meaning of 
the Greek word, which means, prop- 
erly, to accompany side by side ; to 
follow closely; to trace out; to ex- 
amine (Luke i. 3), and to conform to. 
The meaning here, however, seems to 
be, that Timothy had an opportunity 
to follow out; that is, to examine 
closely the manner of life of the apos- 
tle Paul. He had been so long his 
companion that he had had the fullest 
opportunity of knowing how he had 
lived and taught, and how he had 
borne persecutions. The object of this 
reference to his own life and sufferings 
is evidently to encourage Timothy to 
bear persecutions and trials in the 
same manner. Comp. ver. 14. He saw 
in the events which began already to 



226 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



pose, faith, long-suffering, charity, 
patience, 

11 Persecutions, afflictions, which 
came unto me at Antioch, a at Ico- 

a Acts 13.45,50. 

develop themselves, that trials must 
be expected; he knew that all who 
would live holy lives must suffer per- 
secution ; and hence he sought to pre- 
pare the mind of Timothy for the 
proper endurance of trials by a refer- 
ence to his own case. The word doc- 
trine, here, refers to his teaching, or 
manner of giving instruction. It does 
not refer, as the word now does, to the 
opinions which he held. See Notes on 
1 Tim. iv. 16. In regard to the oppor- 
tunities which Timothy had for know- 
ing the manner of Paul's life, see the 
Introduction to the Epistle, and Pa- 
ley, Mor. Paul., in loc. Timothy had 
been the companion of Paul during a 
considerable portion of the time alter 
his conversion. The persecutions re- 
ferred to here (ver. 11) are those which 
occurred in the vicinity of Timothy's 
native place, and which he would have 
had a particular opportunity of being 
acquainted with. This circumstance, 
and the fact that Paul did not refer 
to other persecutions in more remote 
places, is one of the "undesigned coin- 
cidences" of which Paley has made so 
much in his incomparable little work 
. — the Horw Paulinaz. Manner of life. 
Literally, leading, guidance ; then, the 
method in which one is lead— his man- 
ner of life. Comp. Notes on 1 Thess. 
ii. 1. Purpose. Plans, or designs. 
% Faith. Perhaps fidelity, or faithful- 
ness. ^Long-suffering. With the evil 
passions of others, and their efforts to 
injure him. See the w r ord explained in 
the Notes on 1 Cor. xiii. 4. If Charity. 
See Notes on 1 Cor. xiii. Patience. 
"A calm temper, which suffers evils 
without murmuring or discontent." 
— Webster. 

11. Persecidions. On the meaning of 
this word, see Notes on Matt. v. 10. 
^Afflictions. Trials of other kinds 
than those which arose from persecu- 
tions. The apostle met them every 
where. Comp. Notes on Acts xx. 23. 
*ft Which came unto me at Antioch. The 
Antioch here referred to is not the 
capital of Syria (see Notes on Acts xi. 
19), but a city of the same name in 
Pisidia, in Asia Minor. See Notes on 
Acts xiii. 14. Paul there suffered per- 
secution from the Jews. Acts xiii. 



nium, b at Lystra ; what persecu- 
tions I endured : but out of them 
all c the Lord delivered me. 
12 Yea, and all that will live 

b Acts 14. 5, 6, 19. c Psa. 34. 19. 

45. If At Iconium. See Notes on Acts 
xiii. 50. On the persecution there, see 
Notes on Acts xiv. 3-6. H At Lystra. 
Acts xiv. 6. At this place Paul w r as 
stoned. Acts xiv. 19. Timothy was 
a native of either Derbe or Lystra, 
cities near to each other, and was 
doubtless there at the time of this oc- 
currence. Actsxvi.l. Put out of them 
all the Lord delivered me. See the his- 
tory in the places referred to in the 
Acts. 

12. Yea, and all that will live godly in 
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 
Paul takes occasion, from the refer- 
ence to his own persecutions, to say 
that his case was not peculiar. It was 
the common lot of all who endeavored 
to serve their Redeemer faithfully; 
and Timothy himself, therefore, must 
not hope to escape from it. The apos- 
tle had a particular reference, doubt- 
less, to his own times ; but he has put 
his remark into the most general 
form, as applicable to all periods. It 
is undoubtedly true at all times, and 
will ever be, that they who are devoted 
Christians; who live as the Saviour 
did; and who carry out his principles 
always, will experience some form of 
persecution. The essence of persecu- 
tion consists in subjecting a person to 
injury or disadvantage on account of his 
opinions. It is something more than 
meeting his opinions by argument, 
which is always right and proper; it 
is inflicting some injury on him ; de- 
priving him of some privilege or 
right; subjecting him to disadvan- 
tage, or placing him in less favorable 
circumstances, on account of his sen- 
timents. This may be either by an 
injury done to his feelings, his family, 
his reputation, his property, his lib- 
erty, his influence ; it may be by de- 
priving him of an office which he "held, 
or preventing him from obtaining one 
to w T hich he is eligible ; it may be by 
subjecting him to fine or imprison- 
ment, to banishment, to torture, or to 
death. If, in any manner, or in any 
way, he is subjected to disadvantage 
on account of his religious opinions, 
and deprived of any immunities and 
rights to which he would be other- 
wise entitled, this is persecution. It 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER III. 



227 



godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
persecution. 
13 But evil men and seducers 

a 2 Thess.2. 11. 

is doubtless as true at the present 
time as it ever was, that a man who 
will live as the Saviour did, will, like 
him, be subjected to some such injury 
or disadvantage. On account of his 
opinions he may he held up to ridi- 
cule, or treated with neglect, or ex- 
cluded from society to which his at- 
tainments and manners would other- 
wise introduce him, or shunned by 
those who might otherwise value his 
friendship. These things may be ex- 
pected in the best times, and under 
the most favorable circumstances; and 
it is known that a large part of the 
history of the world, in its relation 
to the Church, is nothing more than 
a history of persecution. It follows, 
from this, (1.) that they who make a 
profession of religion should be pre- 
pared to be persecuted. It should be 
considered as one of the proper quali- 
fications for membership in the 
Church, to be willing to bear persecu- 
tion, and to resolve not to shrink from 
any duty in order to avoid it. (2. ) They 
who are persecuted for their opinions, 
should consider that this may be one 
evidence that they have the spirit of 
Christ, and are his true friends. They 
should remember that, in this respect, 
they are treated as the Master was, 
and are in the goodly company of the 
prophets, apostles, and martyrs; for 
they were all persecuted. Yet, (3.) if 
we are persecuted, we should carefully 
inquire, before we avail ourselves of 
this consolation, whether we are per- 
secuted became we "live godly in 
Christ Jesus," or for some other rea- 
son. A man may embrace some ab- 
surd opinion, and call it religion; he 
may adopt some mode of dress irre- 
sistibly ludicrous, from the mere love 
of singularity, and may call it con- 
science; or he may be boorish in his 
manners, and uncivil in his deport- 
ment, outraging all the laws of social 
life, and may call this "deadness to 
the world;" and for these, and sim- 
ilar things, he may be contemned, rid- 
iculed, and despised. But let him not 
infer, therefore, that he is to be enrolled 
among the martyrs, and that he is cer- 
tainly a real Christian. That persecu- 
tion which will properly furnish any 
evidence that we are the friends of 



shall wax worse and worse, de- 
ceiving, and being a deceived. 
14 But continue h thou in the 

b c.1.13. 

Christ, must be only that which is 
"for righteousness sake" (Matt. v. 10), 
and must be brought upon us in an 
honest effort to obey the commands 
of God. (4.) Let those who have 
never been persecuted in any way in- 
quire whether it is not an evidence 
that they have no religion. If they 
had been more faithful, and more like 
their Master, would they have always 
escaped ? And may not their freedom 
from it prove that they have surren- 
dered the principles of their religion 
where they should have stood firm, 
though the world were arrayed 
against them? It is easy for a pro- 
fessed Christian to avoid persecution, 
if he yields every point in which re- 
ligion is opposed to the world. But 
let not a man who will do this sup- 
pose that he has any claim to be num- 
bered among the martyrs, or even en- 
titled to the Christian name. 

13. But evil men and seducers shall wax 
worse and worse. That is, it is the char- 
acter of such men to do this ; they may 
be expected to do it. This is the gen- 
eral law of depravity — that if men are 
not converted they are always grow- 
ing worse, and sinking deeper into in- 
iquity. Comp. Matt. xii. 43-45. Their 
progress will be certain, though it 
may be gradual, since nemo repente 
turpissimus. The connection here is 
this : that Timothy was not to expect 
that he would be exempt from perse- 
cution (ver. 12) by any change for the 
better in the wicked men referred to. 
He was to anticipate in them the op- 
eration of the general law in regard 
to bad men and seducers— that they 
would grow worse and worse. From 
this fact, he was to regard it as certain 
that he, as well as others, would be 
liable to be persecuted. The word 
rendered seducers — yo'j/s — occurs no- 
where else in the New Testament. It 
means, properly, a juggler, or diviner ; 
and then, a deceiver, or impostor. Here 
it refers to those who, by seductive 
arts, lead persons into error. \ Deceiv- 
ing. Making others believe that to 
be true and right which is false and 
wrong. This was, of course, done by 
seductive arts. ^ And being deceived. 
Under delusion themselves. The ad- 
vocates of error are often themselves 



228 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



things which thou hast learned 
and hast been assured of, knowing 
of whom thou hast learned them ; 



as really under deception as those 
whom they impose upon. They are 
often sincere in the belief of error, and 
then they are under a delusion ; or, if 
they are insincere, they are equally 
deluded in supposing that they can 
make error pass for truth before God, 
or can deceive the Searcher of hearts. 
The worst victims of delusion are 
those who attempt to delude others. 

14. But continue thou in the things 
which thou hast learned and hast been 
assured of. To wit, the truths of re- 
ligion. Timothy had been taught 
those truths when a child, and he 
had been confirmed in them by the 
instructions of Paul. Amid the er- 
rors and seductions of false teachers, 
Paul now exhorts him to hold fast 
those doctrines, whoever might op- 
pose them, or whatever might be the 
consequence. Comp. Notes on ch. i. 
13. ^Knowing of whom thou hast 
learned them. To wit, of his mother 
(ch. i. 5), and of Paul. Ch. i. 13. The 
reference seems to be particularly to 
the fact that he had learned these 
truths first from the lips of a mother 
(see ver. 15) ; and the doctrine taught 
here is, that the fact that we have received 
the views of truth from a parents lips 
is a strong motive for adhering to them. 
It is not to be supposed, indeed, that 
this is the highest motive, or that we 
are always to adhere to the doctrines 
which have been taught us, if, on ma- 
turer examination, we are convinced 
they are erroneous ; but that this is a 
strong reason for adhering to what we 
have been taught in early life. It is 
so, because (1.) a parent has no motive 
for deceiving a child, and it can not 
be supposed" that he would teach him 
what he knew to be false; (2.) a par- 
ent usually has had much more experi- 
ence, and much better opportunities 
of examining what is true, than his 
child has; (3.) there is a degree of 
respect which nature teaches us to be 
due to the sentiments of a parent. A 
child should depart very slowly from 
the opinions held by a father or moth- 
er ; and, when it is done, it should be 
only as the result of prolonged exam- 
ination and prayer. These considera- 
tions should have the greater weight 
if a parent has been eminent for piety, 



15 And that from a child thou 
hast known the holy Scriptures, 
which a are able to make thee wise 

a John 5. 39. 

and especially if that parent has been 
removed to heaven. A child, stand- 
ing by the grave of a pious father or 
mother, should reflect and pray much 
before he deliberately adopts opinions 
which he knows that father or mother 
would regard as wrong. 

15. And that from a child thou hast 
~known the holy JScriptures. That is, the 
Old Testament ; for the New Testa- 
ment was not then written. Comp. 
Notes on John v. 39. The mother of 
Timothy was a pious Hebrewess, and 
regarded it as one of the duties of her 
religion to train her son in the care- 
ful knowledge of the Word of God. 
This was regarded by the Hebrews as 
an important duty of religion, and 
there is reason to believe that it was 
commonly faithfully performed. The 
Jewish writings abound with lessons 
on this subject. Rabbi Judah says, 
" The boy of five years of age ought to 
apply to the study of the sacred Scrip- 
tures." Rabbi Solomon, on Deut. xi. 
19, says, "When the boy begins to 
talk, his father ought to converse with 
him in the sacred language, and to 
teach him the law; if he does not do 
that, he seems to bury him." See nu- 
merous instances referred to in Wet- 
stein, in loc. The expression used by 
Paul — from a child (cltto (3ptc}>ov<s) — 
does not make it certain at precisely 
what age Timothy was first instructed 
in the Scriptures, though it would de- 
note an early age. The word used — 
(3pi<pos — denotes, (1.) a babe unborn, 
Luke i. 41, 44; (2. ) an infant, babe, suck- 
ling. In the New Testament, it is ren- 
dered babe and babes, Luke i. 41, 44; ii. 
12,16; IPet. ii. 2; m/arate,Luke viii.15; 
&x\dyou?ig children, Acts vii. 19. It does 
not elsewhere occur, and its current 
use would make it probable that Tim- 
othy had been taught the Scriptures as 
soon as he was capable of learning 
any thing. Dr. Doddridge correctly 
renders it here "from infancy." It 
may be remarked then, (1.) that it is 
proper to teach the Bible to children 
at as early a period of life as possible. 
(2.) That there is reason to hope that 
such instruction will not be forgotten, 
but that it will have a salut ary influ ence 
on their future lives. The piety of 
Timothy is traced by the apostle to 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER III. 



229 



unto salvation through faith which 
is in Christ Jesus. 

a 2 Pet. 1.21. 



the fact that he had been early taught 
to read the Scriptures. This is also 
true now, that a large proportion of 
those who are in the Church have been 
early made acquainted with the Bible. 
(3.) It is proper to teach the Old Testa- 
ment to children — since this was all 
that Timothy had, and this was made 
the means of his salvation. (4.) We 
may see the utility of Sabbath-schools. 
The great, and almost the sole object of 
such schools is to teach the Bible, and 
from the views which Paul had of the 
advantage to Timothy of having been 
early made acquainted with the Bible, 
there can be no doubt that if Sunday- 
schools had then been in existence, he 
would have been their hearty patron 
and friend. Tf Which are able to make 
thee wise unto salvation. So to instruct 
you in the way of salvation that you 
mayfind the path of life. Learn,hence, 
(1.) that the plan of salvation may be 
learned from the Old Testament. It 
is not as clearly revealed there as it is 
in the New, but it is there; and if a 
man had only the Old Testament, he 
might find the way to be saved. The 
Jew, then, has no excuse if he is not 
saved. (2. ) The Scriptures \\&yq power. 
They are "able to make one wise to 
salvation." They are not a cold, tame, 
dead thing. There is no book that has 
so much power as the Bible; none that 
is so efficient in moving the hearts, 
the consciences, and the intellects 
of mankind. There is no book that 
has moved so many minds; none 
that has produced so deep and perma- 
nent effects on the world. (3. ) To find 
the way of salvation is the best kind 
of wisdom, and none are wise who do 
not make that the great object of life. 
H Through faith which is hi Christ Jesus. 
See Notes on Mark xvi. 16 ; Rom. i. 17. 
Paul knew of no salvation except 
through the Lord Jesus. He says, 
therefore, that the study of the Script- 
ures, valuable as they are, will not 
save the soul unless there is faith in 
the Redeemer ; and it is implied, also, 
that the proper effect of a Careful study 
of the Old Testament will be to lead 
one to put his trust in the Messiah. 

16. All Scripture. This properly re- 
fers to the Old Testament, and should 
not be applied to any part of the New 
Testament, unless it can be shown that 



16 All a Scripture is given by in- 
spiration of God, and h is profitable 

b Rom. 15. 4. 

that part was then written, and was in- 
cluded under the general name of the 
Scriptures. Compare 2 Pet. iii. 15, 16. 
But it includes The ivhole of the Old 
Testament, and is the solemn testi- 
mony of Paul that it was all inspired. 
If now it can be proved that Paul him- 
self was an inspired man, this settles 
the question as to the inspiration of 
the Old Testament. H Is given by in- 
spiration of God. All this is expressed 
in the original by one word — Stoirvtv- 
o-tos — theopneustos. This word occurs 
nowhere else in the New Testament. 
It properly means, God-inspired— from 
Geo?, God, 7Tveu),to breathe, to breathe out. 
The idea ofbreathing upon, or breathing 
into the soul, is that which the word nat- 
urally conveys. Thus God breathed 
into the nostrils of Adam the breath 
of life (Gen. ii. 7), and thus the Saviour 
breathed on his disciples, and said, ' ' re- 
ceive ye the Holy Ghost." John xx. 
22. The idea seems to have been that 
the life is in the breath, and that an in- 
telligent spirit was communicated 
with the breath. The expression was 
used among the Greeks, and a similar 
one was employed by the Romans. 
Plutarch, ed. R., ix., 583, 9: toi/s ovsi- 
povs toi/s %scnrvzv<JTOv<s. Phocylid., 

121: Tl/S OS StOTTVEVCTTOV <rO(^)L1] < 3 \6yo<5 

£<ttlv apia-Tos. Perhaps, however, this 
is not an expression of Phocylides,but 
of the pseudo Phocylides. So it is un- 
derstood by Bloomfield. Cicero, pro 
Arch. ,8: poetam — quasi divino quodam 
spiritic injiari. The word does not oc- 
cur in the Septuagint, but is found in 
Josephus, (7. i.,7: "The Script- 
ure of the prophets who were taught 
according to the inspiration of God" — 
kcito. ttjv iir'nrvoiav Ti]v ctiro tov £t£ov. 
In regard to the manner of inspiration, 
and to the various questions which 
havebeen started as to its nature,noth- 
in°; can be learned from the use of 
this word. It asserts a fact — that the 
Old Testament was composed under a 
divine influence which might be rep- 
resented by breathing on one, and so 
imparting life. But the language must 
be figurative ; for God does notbreathe, 
though the fair inference is that those 
Scriptures are as much the production 
of God, or are as much to be traced to 
him, as life is. Comp. Matt. xxii. 43 ; 
2 Pet. i. 21. The question as to the 



230 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



for doctrine, for reproof, for cor- 
rection, for instruction in right- 
eousness ; 

a Psa. 119. 98-100. 

degree of inspiration, and whether it 
extends to the words of Scripture, 
and ho w far the sacred writers were 
left to the exercise of their own fac- 
ulties, is foreign to the design of these 
Notes. All that is necessary to be held 
is, that the sacred writers were kept 
from error on those subjects which 
were matters of their own observation, 
or which pertained to memory; and 
that there were truths imparted to 
them directly by the Spirit of God 
which they -could never have arrived 
at by the unaided exercise of their 
own minds. Comp. Introd. to Isaiah 
and Job. H And is profitable. It is 
useful ; it is adapted to give instruc- 
tion, to administer reproof, etc. ' If 
^aW Scripture is thus valuable, then 
we are to esteem no part of the Old 
Testament as worthless. There is no 
portion of it, even now, which may not 
be fitted, in certain circumstances, to 
furnish us valuable lessons, and, con- 
sequently, no part of it which could be 
spared from the sacred canon. There 
is no part of the human bod} 7 which is 
not useful in its place, and no part of 
it which can be spared without sensi- 
ble loss. II For doctrine. For teaching 
or communicating instruction. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 16. ^For reproof. 
On the meaning of the word here ren- 
dered reproof— eX&yx * — see Notes on 
Heb. xi. 1. It here means, probably, 
for convincing ; that is, convincing a 
man of his sins, of the truth and claims 
of religion, etc. See Notes on John xvi. 
8. 1" For correction. The word here used 
—knrav6p%(jo(ri<s— occurs nowhere else in 
the New Testament. It means, prop- 
erly, a setting to rights, reparation, 
restoration from (sTravopSoco, to right 
up again, to restore); and here means 
the leading to a correction or amend- 
ment of life — a reformation. The mean- 
ing is, that the Scriptures are a power- 
ful means of reforming mankind, or of 
putting them into the proper condit iou 
in regard to morals. After all the other 
means which are employed to reform 
the world — all the appeals which are 
made to men on the score of health, 
happiness, respectability, property, 
and long life — the Word of God is the 
most powerful and the most effectual 
means of recovering those who have 



17 That the man of God may be 
perfect, a thoroughly burnished 
unto all good works. 

1 or, perfected. 

fallen into vice. No reformation can 
be permanent which is not based on 
the principles of the Word of God. 
U For instruction in righteousness. In- 
struction in regard to the principles 
of justice, or what is right. Man needs 
only to be made acquainted with truth 
to be convinced of his error, and to be 
reformed; but he needs to be taught 
what is right, or what is required of 
him, in order that he may lead a holy 
life. Every reformed and regenerated 
man needs instruction, and should not 
be left merely with the evidence that 
he is reformed, or converted. He should 
be followed with the principles of the 
Word of God, to show him how he may 
lead an upright life. The Scriptures 
furnish the rules of holy living in 
abundance, and thus they are adapted 
to the whole work of recovering man, 
and of guiding him to heaven. 

17. That the man of God may be per- 
fect. The object is not merely to 
convince and to convert him ; it is to 
furnish all the instruction needful for 
his entire perfection. The idea here 
is, not that any one is absolutely per- 
fect, but that the Scriptures have laid 
down the way which leads to perfec- 
tion, and that, if any one were perfect, 
he would find in the Scriptures all the 
instruction which he needed in those 
circumstances. There is no deficiency 
in the Bible for man in any of the sit- 
uations in which he may be placed in 
life; and the whole tendency of the 
book is to make him who will put 
himself fairly under its instructions 
absolutely perfect. TT Thoroughly fur- 
nished unto all good works. Marg. , "or 
perfected." The Greek means, to bring 
to an end; to make complete. The 
idea is, that whatever good work the 
man of God desires to perform, or 
however perfect he aims to be, he 
will find no deficiency in the Script- 
ures, but will find there the most am- 
ple instructions that he needs. He 
can never advance so far as to become 
forsaken of nis guide. He can never 
make such progress as to have gone 
in advance of the volume of revealed 
truth, and to be thrown upon his own 
resources in a region which was not 
thought of by the Author of the Bible. 
No new phase of human affairs can ap- 



A.D. 65.] 

CHAPTER IV. 

I CHARGE a thee therefore before 
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, 

a 1 Tim. 5. 21 ; 6.13. 

pear in which it will not direct him ; 
no new plan of benevolence can be 
started for which he will not find 
principles there to guide him ; and 
he can make no progress in knowl- 
edge or holiness where he will not 
feel that his holy counselor is in ac^ 
vance of hirn still, and that it is capa- 
ble of conducting him even yet into 
higher and purer regions. Let us, 
then, study and prize the Bible. It is 
a holy and a safe guide. It has con- 
ducted millions along the dark and 
dangerous way of life, and has never 
led one astray. The human mind, in 
its investigations of truth, has never 
gone beyond its teachings; nor has 
man ever advanced into a region so 
bright that its light has become dim, 
or where it has not thrown its beams 
of glory on still far distant objects. 
We are often in circumstances in 
which we feel that we have reached 
the outer limit of what man can teach 
us ; but we never get into such circum- 
stances in regard to the Word of God. 

How precious is the book divine, ' 

By inspiration given ! 
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, 

To guide our souls to heaven. 

* It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts 
In this dark vale of tears ; 
Life, light, and joy, it still imparts, 
And quells our rising fears. 

This lamp, through all the tedious night 
Of life, shall guide our way ; 

Till we behold the clearer light 
Of an eternal day. 

CHAPTER IY. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter comprises the follow- 
ing subjects : 

1. A solemn charge to Timothy to 
be faithful in preaching the Gospel, 
and in the whole work of the minis- 
try. Ver. 1-5. The particular reason 
given for this charge was, that the 
time was approaching when men 
would not endure sound doctrine, 
but would turn away from the truth. 
Hence, Timothy is exhorted to be 
faithful in his work, and to be pre- 
pared to endure the trials which, in 
such circumstances, a faithful minister 
must be expected to meet. 

2. A statement of Paul that his own 



231 

who shall judge b the quick and 
the dead at his appearing and his 
kingdom ; 

b Rev. 20. 12,13. 

work was nearly done, and that the 
hour of his departure drew near. 
Ver. 6-8. This statement, also, seems 
to be made in order to excite Timo- 
thy to increased fidelity in the minis- 
try. His teacher, guide, father, and 
friend, was about to be withdrawn, 
and the great work of preaching was 
to be committed to other hands. 
Hence, in view of his own departure, 
Paul exhorts Timothy to fidelity when 
he himself should be removed. 

3. An exhortation to Timothy to 
come to him as soon as practicable. 
Ver. 9-15. Paul was then in bonds, 
and was expecting soon to die. He 
was alone. For various reasons, those 
who had been with him had left him, 
and he needed some companion and 
friend. He therefore exhorts Timothy 
to come to him as soon as possible. 

4. Paul refers now to his first trial 
before the emperor, and to the fact 
that then no one stood by him. Ver. 
16-19. The reason of his" referring to 
this seems to be to induce Timothy 
to come to him in view of his antici- 
pated second trial. The Lord, he says, 
then stood by him, and he had confi- 
dence that he would continue to do 
it ; yet who is there that does not feel 
it desirable to have some dear earthly 
friend to be with him when he dies ? 

5. The epistle is closed, in the usual 
manner, with various salutations, and 
with the benediction. Ver. 19-22. 

1. 1 charge thee therefore before God. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. v. 21. U Who shall 
judge the quick and the dead. That is, 
the Lord Jesus; for he is to be the 
judge of men. Matt. xxv. 31-46 ; 2 Cor. 
v. 10. The word quick means living 
(See Notes on Acts x.42; Eph. ii. 1); 
and the idea is, that he would be alike 
the judge of all wiio were alive when 
he should come, and of all who had 
died. See Notes on 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17. 
In view of the fact that all, whether 
preachers or hearers, must give up 
their account to the final Judge, Paul 
charges Timothy to be faithful; and 
what is there which will more con- 
duce to fidelity in the discharge of 
duty, than the thought that we must 
soon give up a solemn account of the 
manner in which we have performed 



CHAPTER IV. 



232 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



2 Preach the word ; be instant in 
season, out of season ; reprove, a 

a Tit. 2. 15. 

it ? 1 At his appearing. That is, the 
judgment will then take place. This 
must refer to a judgment yet to take 
place, for the Lord Jesus has not yet 
" appeared" the second time to men ; 
and, if this be so, then there is to be 
a resurrection of the dead. On the 
meaning of the word rendered appear- 
ing^ see Notes on 2 Thess. ii. 8. It is 
there rendered brightness. Comp. 1 
Tim. vi. 14 ; 2 Tim. i. 10 ; Titus ii. 13. 
H And his kingdom. Or, at the setting 
up of his kingdom. The idea of his 
reigning, or setting up his kingdom, 
is not unfrequently associated with 
the idea of his coming. See Matt. xvi. 
28. The meaning is, that, at his sec- 
ond advent, the extent and majesty 
of his kingdom will be fully displayed. 
It will be seen that he has control 
over the elements, over the graves of 
the dead, and over all the living. It 
will be seen that the earth and the 
heavens are under his sway, and that 
all things there acknowledge him as 
their sovereign Lord. In order to 
meet the full force of the language 
used by Paul here, it is not necessary 
to suppose that he will set up a visible 
kingdom on the earth, but only that 
there will be an illustrious display of 
himself as a king, and of the extent 
and majesty of the empire over which 
he presides. Comp. Notes on Rom. 
xiv. 11; Phil. ii. 10. 

2. Preach the word. The Word of God ; 
the Gospel. This was to be the main 
business of the life of Timothy, and 
Paul solemnly charges him, in view 
of the certain coming of the Redeem- 
er to judgment, to be faithful in the 
performance of it. *J[ Be instant. See 
Notes on Rom. xii. 12. Literally, to 
stand by, or to stand fast by; that is, he 
was to be pressing or urgent in the 
performance of this work. He was 
always to be at his post, and was to 
embrace every opportunity of making 
known the Gospel. What Paul seems 
to have contemplated was not merely 
that he should perform the duty at 
stated and regular times; but that he 
should press the matter as one who 
had the subject much at heart, and 
never lose an opportunity of making 
the Gospel known. If In season, iv- 
Kciipios. In good time ; opportunely. 
Comp. Matt. xxvi. 16 ; Luke xxii. 6 ; 



rebuke, exhort with all long-suf- 
fering and doctrine. 



Mark xiv. 11. The sense is, when it 
could be convenieyitly done; when all 
things were favorable, and when there 
were no obstructions or hinderances. 
It may include the stated and regular 
seasons for public worship, but is not 
confined to them. Tf Out of season. 
VKaipu)?. This word does not else- 
where occur in the New Testament. 
It is the opposite of the former, and 
means that a minister is to seek op- 
portunities to preach the Gospel even 
at such periods as might be incon- 
venient to himself; or when there 
might be hinderances and embarrass- 
ments ; or when there was no stated 
appointment for preaching. He is not 
to confine himself to the appointed 
times of worship, or to preach only 
when it will be perfectly convenient 
for himself, but he is to have such an 
interest and earnestness in the work 
that it will lead him to do it in the 
face of embarrassments and discour- 
agements, and whenever he can find 
an opportunity. A man who is greatly 
intent on an object will seek every op- 
portunity to promote it. He will not 
confine himself to stated times and 
places, but will present it every where, 
and at all times. He, therefore, who 
confines himself to the stated seasons 
of preaching the Gospel, or who mere- 
ly preaches when it is convenient to 
himself, should not consider that he 
has come up to the requirement of 
the rule laid down by the apostle. 
He should preach in his private con- 
versation ; in the intervals of his pub- 
lic labors; at the side of the sick- 
bed, and wherever there is a prospect 
of doing good to any one. If his heart 
is full of love to the Saviour and to 
souls, he can not help doing this. 
Tf Reprove. Or convince. See Notes on 
ch. iii. 16. The meaning is, that he was 
to use such arguments as would con- 
vince men of the truth of religion, and 
of their own need of it. % Rebuke. 
Rebuke offenders. Titus ii. 15. See 
the use of the word in Matt. viii. 26; 
xii. 16 (rendered charged); xvi. 22; 
xvii. 18; xix. 13; xx. 31; Luke iv. 35, 
39 ; xvii. 13 ; xviii. 15 ; Jude 9. In the 
New Testament the word is used to 
express a judgment of what is wrong 
in one's judgment,or contrary to one's 
will, and hence to admonish or re- 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



233 



3 For the time will come when 
they will not endure sound doc- 
trine; but after their own lusts 

prove. It implies our conviction that 
there is something evil, or some fault 
in him who is rebuked. The word in 
this verse which is rendered reprove 
does not imply this, but merely that 
one may be in error, and needs to have 
arguments presented to convince him 
of the truth. That word also implies 
no superior authority in him who does 
it. He presents reasons, or argues the 
case, for the purpose of convincing. 
The word here rendered rebuke implies 
authority or superiority, and means 
merely that we may say that a thing 
is wrong, and administer a rebuke for 
it, as if there were no doubt that it 
was wrong. The propriety of the re- 
buke rests on our authority for doing 
it, not on the arguments which we pre- 
sent. This is based on the presump- 
tion that men often know that they 
are doing wrong, and need no argu- 
ments to convince them of it. The 
idea is, that the minister is not merely 
to reason about sin, and convince men 
that it is wrong, but he may solemnly 
admonish them not to do it, and icam 
them of the consequences. ^Exhort. 
See Notes on Rom. xii. 8. If With all 
long-suffering. That is, with a patient 
and persevering spirit if you are op- 
posed. See Notes on ch. ii. 25. Comp. 
Notes on Rom. ii. 4. See also Rom. xi. 
22; 2Cor.vi.6; Gal. v. 91; Eph. iv. 2; 
Col. i. 11; in. 12; ITim.i. 16. H And doc- 
trine. Teaching, or patient instruction. 

3. For the time will come, etc. Prob- 
ably referring to the time mentioned 
in ch. iii. 1, seq. If When they will not 
endure sound doctrine. Greek, healthful 
doctrine; that is, doctrine contribu- 
ting to the health of the soul, or to 
salvation. At that time they would 
seek a kind of instruction more con- 
formable to their wishes and feelings. 
1" But after their own lusts. They will 
seek such kind of preaching as will 
accord with their carnal desires; or 
such as will apologize for their evil 
propensities, and deal gently with their 
vices. Comp. Isa. xxx. 10, "Speak 
unto us smooth things ; prophesy de- 
ceits." f Shall they heap to themselves 
teachers, having itching ears. The word 
rendered heap — ETriowpEuw — does not 
occur elsewhere in the New Testa- 
ment. It means to heap up upon, to ac- 
cumulate ; and here to multiply. The 



shall they heap to themselves 
teachers, having itching ears ; 
4 And they shall turn away their 

word rendered itching — KvijSruy — also 
occurs only in this place in the New 
Testament. It means to rub, to scratch; 
and then to tickle; and here to feel an 
itching for something pleasing or grat- 
ifying. The image is derived from the 
desire which we have, when there is 
an itching sensation, to have it rubbed 
or scratched. Such an uneasiness 
would these persons have to have 
some kind of instruction that would 
allay their restless and uneasy desires, 
or would gratify^ them. In explana- 
tion of this pasSge we may observe, 
(1.) that there will always be religious 
teachers of some kind, and that in pro- 
portion as error and sin abound, they 
will be multiplied. The apostle here 
says, that by turning away from Tim- 
othy, and from sound instruction, 
they would not renounce all religious 
teachers, but would rather increase 
and multiply them. Men often de- 
claim much" against a regular minis- 
try, and call it priestcraft ; and yet, if 
they were to get rid of such a ministry, 
they would by no means escape from 
all kinds of religious teachers. The 
deeper the darkness, the more gross 
the errors, and the more prevalent 
the wickedness of men, the more will 
a certain kind of religious teachers 
abound, and the more it will cost to 
support them. Italy and Spain swarm 
with priests, and in every heathen na- 
tion priests constitute a very numer- 
ous class of the population. The 
cheapest ministry on the earth is a 
well-educated Protestant clergy; and 
if society wishes to free itself from 
swarms of preachers, and prophets, 
and exhorters, it should secure the 
regular services of an educated and 
pious ministry. (2.) In such classes 
of persons as the apostle here refers 
to, there is a restless, uneasy desire to 
have some kind of preachers. They 
have "itching ears." They will be 
ready to run after all kinds of public 
instructors. They will be little pleased 
with any, and this will be one reason 
why they will have so many. They 
are fickle, unsettled, and never satis- 
fied. A desire to hear the truth, and 
to learn the way of salvation, is a good 
desire. But this can be better grati- 
fied by far under the patient and intel- 
ligent labors of a single religious 



234 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. G5. 



ears from the truth, and shall be 
turned unto fables." 
5 But watch thou in all things, b 

a 1 Tim. 1.4. fee. 2. 3. 

teacher, than by running after many 
teachers, or by frequent changes. 
How much would a child learn if he 
was constantly running from one 
school to another ? (3.) Such persons 
would have teachers according to 
"their own lusts;" that is, their own 
tastes or wishes. They would have 
those who would coincide with their 
whims ; who would foster every va- 
gary which might enter their imagina- 
tion ; who would muntenance every 
wild project fbrTioing good; who 
would be the advocates of the errors 
which they held; and who would be 
afraid to rebuke their faults. These 
are the principles on which many per- 
sons choose their religious teachers. 
The true principle should be, to select 
those who will faithfully declare the 
truth, and who will not shrink from 
exposing and denouncing sin, wher- 
ever it may be found. 

4. And they shall turn away their ears 
from the truth. That is, the people 
themselves will turn away from the 
truth. It does not mean that the 
teachers would turn them away by 
the influence of their instructions. 
If And shall be turned unto fables. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. i. 4. 

5. But watch thou in all things. Be 
vigilant against error and sin, and 
faithful in the performance of duty. 
See Notes on Matt: xxv. 13 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 
13. T[ Endure afflictions. See Notes 
on ch. ii. 3. The Greek word here is 
the same which is there rendered en- 
dure hardness.'''' If Do the work of an 
evangelist. On the word evangelist, see 
Notes on Acts xxi. 8. The phrase 
here means, do the work of preaching 
the Gospel, or of one appointed to pro- 
claim the glad tidings of salvation. 
This is the proper business of all min- 
isters, whatever other rank they may 
maintain. Whether it was ever re- 
garded as the proper duty of a sepa- 
rate class of men to do this, see Notes 
on Eph. iv. 11. If Make full proof of 
thy ministry. Marg. , fulfill. Comp. 
Notes on Rom. xiv. 5. The word here 
used denotes, properly, to bear or 
bring fully; then to persuade fully; 
and then to make fully assured of, to 
give full proof of. The meaning here 
seems to be, to furnish full evidence of 



endure afflictions, do the work of 
an evangelist, make 1 full proof of 
thy ministry. 

1 or, f ulfill. c 1 Tim. 4. 12, 15. 

what is the design of the Christiayi min- 
istry, and of what it is adapted to accom- 
plish, by the faithful performance of 
all its duties. Timothy was so to dis- 
charge the duties of his office as to 
furnish a fair illustration of what the 
.ministry could do, and thus to show 
the wisdom of the Saviour in its in- 
stitution. This should be the aim of 
all the ministers of the Gospel. Each 
one should resolve, by the blessing of 
God, that the ministry, in his hands, 
shall have a fair trial, so as to show to 
the utmost what it is adapted to do 
for the welfare of mankind. 

6. For I am now ready to be offered. 
This conviction of the apostle that he 
was about to die is urged as a reason 
why Timothy should be laborious and 
faithful in the performance of the du- 
ties of his office. His own work was 
nearly done. He was soon to be with- 
drawn from the earth, and whatever 
benefit the world might have derived 
from his experience or active exer- 
tions, it was soon to be deprived of it. 
He was about to leave a work which 
he much loved, and to which he had 
devoted the vigor of his life, and he 
was anxious that they who were to 
succeed him should carry on the work 
with all the energy and zeal in their 
power. This expresses the common 
feeling of aged ministers as death 
draws near. The word "ready" in 
the phrase " ready to be offered," con- 
veys an idea which is not in the orig- 
inal. It implies a ivillingness to depart, 
which, whether true or not, is not the 
idea conveyed by the apostle. His 
statement is merely of the fact that he 
was about to die, or that his work was 
drawing to a close. No doubt he was 
u ready," in the sense of being willing 
and prepared, but this is not the idea 
in the Greek. The single Greek word 
rendered "I am ready to be offered" — 
(nriv&oixai — occurs nowhere else in the 
New Testament, except in Phil. ii. 17, 
where it is translated "if I be offered." 
See it explained in the Notes on that 
place. The allusion here, says Burder 
(in Rosenmullcr' s A. u. n. Morgen- 
land), is to the custom which pre- 
vailed among the heathen generally, 
of pouring wine and oil on the head 
of a victim when it was about to be 



A.B. 65.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



235 



G For I am now ready to be of- j liaye finished c my course, I have 
fered, and the time of my depart- kept d the faith : 
lire a is at hand. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for 

7 I have fought b a good fight, I j me a crown e of righteousness, 

a Phil. 1.23. 2 Pet. 1.14. 6lTiin.6.12. 



c Arts 20. 24. 
e 1 Cor. 9. 25. 



d Prov. 23. 23. Rev. 3. 10. 
1 Pet. 5. 4. Rev. 2. 10. 



offered in sacrifice. The idea of the 
apostle then is, that he was in the con- 
dition of the victim on whose head the 
wine and oil had been already poured, 
and which was just about to be put 
to death ; that is, he was about to die. 
Every preparation had been made, and 
he only awaited the blow which was 
to strike him down. The meaning is 
not that he was to be a sacrifice; it is 
that his death was about to occur. 
Nothing more remained to be done 
but to die. The victim was all ready, 
and he was sure that the blow would 
soon fall. What was the ground of 
his expectation, he has not told us. 
Probably there were events occurring 
in Rome which made it morally cer- 
tain that though he had once been ac- 
quitted, he could not now escape. At 
all events, it is interesting to contem- 
plate an aged and experienced Chris- 
tian on the borders of the grave, and 
to learn what were his feelings in the 
prospect of his departure to the eter- 
nal world. Happily, Paul in more 
places than one (comp. Phil. i. 23) has 
stated his views in such circumstan- 
ces, and we know that his religion 
then did not fail him. He found it to 
be in the prospect of death what he 
had found it to be through all his life 
— the source of unspeakable consola- 
tion ; and he was enabled to look calm- 
ly onward to the hour Avhich should 
summon him into the presence of his 
J udge. And the time of my departure 
is at hand. Gr., dissolving, or dissolu- 
tion. So we speak of the dissolution 
of the soul and body. The verb from 
which the noun (avaXvcris) is derived 
(avaXvoo), means to loosen again ; to 
undo. It is applied to the act of un- 
loosing or casting off the fastenings 
of a ship, preparatory to a departure. 
The proper idea in the use of the word 
would be that he had been bound to 
the present world, like a ship to its 
moorings, and that death would be a 
release. He would now spread his 
sails on the broad ocean of eternity. 
The true idea of death is that of loos- 
ening the bands that confine us to the 
present world ; of setting us free, and 
permitting the soul to go forth, as with 



expanded sails, on its eternal voyage. 
With such a view of death, why should 
a Christian fear to die ? 

7. I have fought a good fight. More 
literally, " I have completed the con- 
test" — the strife — the race — the 
struggle — as in the public games. The 
struggle is over. The Christian life 
is often represented as a conflict, or 
warfare. See Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 12. 
That noble conflict with sin, the 
world, the flesh, and the devil, Paul 
now says he had been able to main- 
tain. If I have finished my course. The 
Christian life, too, is often represented 
as a race to be run. Comp. Notes on 
1 Cor. ix. 24-26. ^ I have kejjt the faith. 
I have steadfastly maintained the faith 
of the Gospel ; or, have lived a life of 
fidelity to my Master. Probably the 
expression means that he had kept his 
plighted faith to the Redeemer, and 
had spent a life in faithfully endeavor- 
ing to serve his Lord. 

8. Henceforth there is laid np for me. 
At the end of my race, a£ there was a 
crown in reserve for those who had 
successfully striven in the Grecian 
games, Comp. Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 25. 
The word henceforth — \oltt6v — means 
ivhat remains, or as to the rest; and the 
idea is, that this was what remained of 
the whole career. The race had been 
run ; the conflict had been waged ; 
and all whicn was now necessary to 
complete the whole transaction was 
merely that the crown be bestowed. 
T[ A crown of righteousness. That is, a 
crown won in the cause of righteous- 
ness, and conferred as the reward of 
conflicts and efforts in the cause of 
holiness. It was not a crown of am- 
bition; it was not a garland won in 
struggles for earthly distinction ; it 
was "that which was the appropriate 
reward of efforts to be personally holy, 
and to spread the principles of holi- 
ness as far as possible through the 
world. T Which the Lord, the righteous 
Judge, shall give me. The Lord Jesus, 
appointed to judge the world, and to 
dispense the rewards of eternity. It 
will be seen in the last day that the 
rewards of heaven are not conferred 
in an arbitrary manner, but that they 



236 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



which the Lord, the righteous 
judge, shall give me at that day; 
and not to me only, but unto all 
them a also that love his appearing. 

a 1 Cor. 2.9. 

are bestowed because they ought to be, 
or that God is righteous and just in 
doing it. No man will be admitted 
to heaven who ought not, under all the 
circumstances of the case, to be ad- 
mitted there; no one will be excluded 
who ought to have been saved. \ At 
that day. That is, the time when he 
will come to judge the world. Matt, 
xxv. And not to me o?ily. "Though 
my life has been spent in laboriously 
endeavoring to spread the true relig- 
ion; though I have suffered much, 
and labored long; though I have 
struggled hard to win the prize, and 
now have it full in view, yet I do not 
suppose that it is to be conferred on 
me alone. It is not like the wreath 
of olive, laurel, pine, or parsley (see 
Notes on 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25), which could 
be conferred only on one victor ; but 
here every one may obtain the crown 
who strives for it. The struggle is not 
between me and a competitor in such 
a sense that, if /obtain the crown, he 
must be excluded; but it is a crown 
which he ca%ofrtain as well as I. As 
many as run — as many as fight the 
good fight— as many as keep the faith 
— as many as love his appearing, may 
win the crown as well as I." Such is 
religion, and such is the manner in 
which its rewards differ from all other 
rewards. At the Grecian games, but 
one could obtain the prize. All the 
rest who contended in those games, 
no matter how numerous they were, 
how skillfully they contended, or how 
much effort they made, were of course 
subjected to the mortification of a fail- 
ure, and to the ill-feeling and envy to 
which such a failure might give rise. 
So it is in respect to all the prizes 
which this world can bestow. In a 
lottery, but one can obtain the highest 
prize; in a class in college, but one 
can secure the highest honor ; in the 
scramble for office, no matter how 
numerous the competitors may be, or 
what may be their merits, but one can 
obtain it. All the rest are liable to 
the disappointments and mortifica- 
tions of defeat. Not so in religion. 
No matter how numerous the compet- 
itors, or how worthy any one of them 
may be, or how pre-eminent he may 



9 Do thy diligence to come short- 
ly unto me : 

10 For Demas hath forsaken me, 
having loved b this present world, 

b 1 John 2. 15. ; 

be above his brethren, yet all may ob- 
tain the prize; all may be crowned 
with a diadem of life of equal brillian- 
cy. No one is excluded because an- 
other is successful; no one fails of the 
reward because another obtains it. 
Who, then, would not make an effort 
to win the immortal crown? ^ Unto 
all them also that love his appearing. 
That is, all who desire his second com- 
ing. Faith in the second advent of 
the Lord Jesus as coming to judge the 
world, and a desire for his return, be- 
came a kind of criterion by which 
Christians were known. No others 
but true Christians were supposed to 
believe in his return to our world, and 
no others truly desired it. Comp. 
Rev. i. 7; xxii. 20. It is so now. It 
is one of the characteristics of a true 
Christian that he believes that Christ 
will come again to judge the world; 
that he sincerely desires his return, 
and that he would welcome his appear- 
ing in the clouds of heaven. 

9. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto 
me. As soon as possible. Timothy 
had been Paul's traveling companion, 
and was his intimate friend. The 
apostle was now nearly forsaken, and 
was about to pass through severe 
trials. It is not certainly known for 
what purpose he wished him to come 
to him, but perhaps he desired to give 
him some parting counsels ; perhaps 
he wished him to be near him when 
he died. It is evident from this that 
he did not regard him as the prelatical 
"bishop of the Church of the Ephe- 
sians," or consider that he was so 
confined to that place in his labors 
that he was not also to go to other 
places if he was called in the provi- 
dence of God. It is probable that 
Timothy would obey such a sum- 
mons, and there is no reason to be- 
lieve that he ever returned to Ephe- 
sus. 

10. For Demas hath forsaken me. De- 
mas is honorably mentioned in Col. 
iv. 14; but nothing more is known of 
him than what can be gathered from 
that place and this — that he was at 
first a friend and fellow-laborer of 
Paul, but that, under the influence of 
a desire to live, he afterward forsook 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



237 



and is departed unto Thessalonica; 
Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto 
Dalinatia. 

11 Only Luke is with me. Take 
Mark, and bring hirn with thee ; 



him, even in circumstances where he 
greatly needed the presence of a friend. 
1 Having loved this present world. This 
does not mean, necessarily, that he 
was an avaricious man, or that, in it- 
self, he loved the honors or wealth of 
this world ; but it means that he de- 
sired to live. He was not willing to 
stay with Paul, and subject himself to 
the probabilities of martyrdom ; and, 
in order to secure his life, he departed 
to a place of safety. The Greek is, 

ay cnr ri<Ta<s tov vvv aiwva — having loved 

the world that now is; that is, this 
world as it is, with all its cares, and 
troubles, and comforts; having de- 
sired to remain in this world, rather 
than to go to the other. There is, 
perhaps, a slight censure here in the 
language of Paul— the censure of grief ; 
but there is no reason why Demas 
should be held up as an example of a 
worldly man. That he desired to live 
longer ; that he was unwilling to re- 
main and risk the loss of life, is indeed 
clear. That Paul was pained by his 
departure, and that he felt lonely and 
sad, is quite apparent ; but I see no 
evidence that Demas was influenced 
by what are commonly called worldly 
feelings, or that he was led to this 
course by the desire of wealth, of 
fame, or of pleasure. ^And is departed 
unto Thessalonica. Perhaps his native 
place. — Calmet. ^Crescens. Nothing 
more is known of Crescens than is 
here mentioned. "He is thought by 
Eusebius and others to have preached 
in Gaul, and to have founded the 
Church in Vienne, in Dauphiny." — 
Calmet. T[ To Galatia. See Introd. to 
the Epistle to the Galatians, § 1. It is 
not known to what part of Galatia he 
had gone, or why he went there. H Ti- 
tus unto Dalmatia. Dalmatia was a part 
of Illyricum, on the Gulf of Venice, or 
the Adriatic Sea. On the situation of 
Illyricum, see Notes on Rom. xv. 19. 
Paul does not mention the reason 
why Titus had gone there ; but it is 
not improbable that he had gone to 
preach the Gospel, or to visit the 
churches which Paul had planted in 
that region. The apostle does not 



for he is profitable to me for the 
ministry. 

12 And Tychicus a have I sent to 
Ephesus. 

13 The cloak that I left at Troas 

a Tit. 3.12. 



suggest that he was deserving of 
blame for having gone, and it can 
hardly be supposed that Titus would 
have left him at this time without his 
concurrence. Perhaps, when he per- 
mitted him to go, he did not know 
how soon events would come to a 
crisis with him ; and as a letter would 
more readily reach Timothy at Ephe- 
sus than Titus in Dalma tia, he re- 
quested him to come to him, instead 
of directing Titus to return. 

11. Only Luke is with me. Luke, the 
author of the Gospel which bears his 
name, and of the Acts of the Apostles. 
For a considerable part of the minis- 
try of Paul, he was his traveling com- 
panion (comp. Notes on Acts xvi. 10), 
and we know that he went with him 
to Rome. Acts xxvii. 1. % Take Mark. 
John Mark. See Notes on Acts xv. 37. 
He was the son of a sister of Barnabas, 
and had been the traveling companion 
of Barnabas and Paul. There had been 
a temporary alienation between him 
and Paul (Acts xv. 38) ; but this pas- 
sage proves that that had been re- 
moved, and that they were reconciled. 
T[ For he is profitable to me for the min- 
istry. In what way he would be prof- 
itable, he does not say ; nor is it known 
why Mark was at that time with Tim- 
othy. It may be observed, however, 
that this is such language as Paul 
might be expected to use of Mark, 
after what had occurred, as recorded 
in Acts xv. 38. He felt that he was 
now about to die. If he suspected 
that there was on the part of Mark 
any lingering apprehension that he 
was not entirely reconciled to him, 
or that he retained a recollection of 
what had formerly occurred, nothing 
would be more natural than that, at 
this trying time of his life, Paul should 
summon him to his side, and express 
toward him the kindest emotions. It 
would soothe any lingering irritation 
in the mind of Mark to receive such 
a message. 

12. And Tychicus. See Acts xx. 4. 
In Eph. vi. 21, Paul calls him "a be- 
loved brother, and faithful minister in 
the Lord." But it may be asked why 



238 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



with Carpus, when thou comest, 
bring with thee, and the books, ~but 
especially the parchments. 



he did not retain him with him, or 
why he should have sent him away, 
and then call Timothy to him ? The 
probability is, that he had sent him 
before he had seen reason to appre- 
hend that he would be put to death ; 
and now, feeling the need of a friend 
to be with him, he sent to Timothy, 
rather than to him, because Tychicus 
had been employed to perform some 
service which he could not well leave, 
and because Paul wished to give some 
special instructions to Timothy be- 
fore he died. H Have I sent to JEphesus. 
Why, is not certainly known. Comp. 
Introd.,§2. 

13. The cloak that I left at Troas. On 
the situation of Troas, see Notes on 
Acts xvi. 8. It was not on the most 
direct route from Ephesus to Rome, 
bat was a route frequently taken. 
Comp. the Map in the Notes on the 
Acts of the Apostles. See also the 
Introd., § 2. In regard to what the 
44 cloak" here mentioned was, there 
has been considerable difference of 
opinion. The Greek word used (</>£- 
Aoinj? — variously written <£ai\o'yj]9,(j!>£- 
Xoz/?}9, and </>£\a>i/?j?), occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. It is 
supposed to be used for a similar 
Greek word {([)aiv6\ii$), to denote a 
cloak, or great-coat, with a hood, used 
chiefly oil journeys, or in the army. 
Latin, penula. It is described by 
Eschenberg {Man. Class. Lit., p. 209) 
as a " cloak without sleeves, for cold 
or rainy weather." See the uses of 
it in the quotations made by Wetstein, 
in loc. Others, however, suppose that 
the w r ord means a traveling-case for 
books, etc. So Hesychius understands 
it. Bloomfield endeavors to unite the 
two opinions by suggesting that it- 
may mean a cloak-bag, and that he had 
left his books and parchments in it. 
It is impossible to settle the precise 
meaning of the w r ord here, and it is 
not material. The common opinion 
that it was a wrapper or traveling- 
cloak is the most probable, and such 
a garment would not be undesirable 
for a prisoner. It should be remem- 
bered, also, that winter was approach- 
ing (ver. 21), and such a cloak would 
be particularly needed. He had prob- 
ably passed through Troas in summer, 



14 Alexander the coppersmith 
did me much evil ; the Lord a re- 
ward him according to his works : 

a Psa. 28. 4. 

and, not needing the cloak, and not 
choosing to encumber himself with 
it, had left it at the house of a friend. 
On the meaning of the word, see Wet- 
stein, Kobinson, Lex,, and Schleusner, 
Lex. Comp. also, Suic. , Thes. , ii. , 1422. 
The doubt in regard to what is here 
meant is as old as Chrysostom. He 
says {Horn. x. on this epistle) that " the 
word {cj)a\6viiv) denotes a garment — 
to IfxaTLov. But some understood by 
it a capsula, or bag — y\co a a 6 ko/jlov" 
(comp. Notes on John xii. 6), "in 
which books, etc., were carried." 
IT With Carpus. Carpus is not else- 
where mentioned. He was evidently 
a friend of the apostle, and it would 
seem probable that Paul had made his 
house his home when he was in Troas. 
1T And the books. It is impossible to 
determine what books are meant here. 
They may have been portions of the 
Old Testament, or classic writings, 
or books written by other Christians, 
or by himself. It is worthy of re- 
mark that even Paul did not travel 
without books, and that he found them 
in some way necessary for the work 
of the m inistry . H Especially the parch- 
ments. The w r ord here used {/mt/j.(3pa- 
i/«5, whence our word membrane) oc- 
curs only in this place in the New 
Testament, and means skin, mem- 
brane, parchment. Dressed skins were 
among the earliest materials for writ- 
ing, and were in common use before 
the art of making paper from rags 
was discovered. These "parchments" 
seem to have been something differ- 
ent from "books," and probably refer 
to some of his own waitings. They 
may have contained notes, memoran- 
da, journals, or unfinished letters. 
It is, of course, impossible now to 
determine what they were. Benson 
supposes they were letters which he 
had received from the churches; 
Macknight, that they were the origi- 
nals of the letters which he had writ- 
ten; Bishop Bull, that they were a 
kind of commonplace-book, in which 
he inserted hints and extracts of the 
most remarkable passages in the au- 
thors which he read. All this, how- 
ever, is mere conjecture. 

14. Alexander the coppersmith. Or, 
rather, the brazier — 6 x a ^ Kt ^* The 



A.D. 65. 



CHAPTER IY. 



239 



15 Of whom be thou ware also ; 
for he hath greatly withstood our 
1 words. 

16 At my first answer no man 

1 or, preachings. a c. 1.15. 

word is used, however, to denote a 
worker in any kind of metals. This 
is probably the same person who is 
mentioned in 1 Tim. i. 20, and perhaps 
the same as the one mentioned in 
Aets xix. 33. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 
20. ^ Did me much evil. In what way 
this was done is not mentioned. If 
this is the same person who is referred 
to in 1 Tim. i. 20, it is probable that it 
was not evil to Paul personally, so 
much as embarrassment to the cause 
of religion which he advocated. 
Comp. 2 Tim. ii. 17, 18. % The Lord re* 
ivard him according to his ivorks. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. i. 20. This need not 
be regarded as an expression of pri- 
vate feeling ; still less should it be 
understood as expressing a desire of 
revenge. It is the language of one 
who wished that God would treat an 
offender exactly as he ought to be 
treated, and might be in accordance 
with the highest benevolence of any 
heart. It is the aim of every just 
government that each one under that 
government should be treated exactly 
as he deserves ; and every good citi- 
zen should desire and pray that this 
may be done, and that exact justice 
may be done to all. It is the business 
of a police officer to ferret out the 
guilty, to bring them to trial, to se- 
cure a just sentence; and any police 
officer may pray, with the utmost 
propriety, that God will assist him in 
his endeavors, and enable him to per- 
form his duty. This may be done with 
no malevolent feeling toward any hu- 
man being, but with the purest love 
of country, and the most earnest de- 
sire for the welfare of all. If such a 
police officer, or if a judge, or a jury- 
man, were heard thus to pray, who 
would dare to accuse him of having 
a vindictive spirit or a malevolent 
heart ? And why should Paul be so 
charged, when his prayer amounts to 
no more than this? For it remains 
yet to be proved that he refers to any 
private wrong which Alexander had 
done him, or that he was actuated by 
any other desire than that the sacred 
interests of truth should be guarded, 
and equal justice done to all. Why is 
it wrong to desire or to pray that 



stood with me, but all a men for- 
sook me : I pray God that it may 
not be laid b to their charge. 
17 Notwithstanding the Lord c 

b Acts 7. 60. c Matt. 10. 19. Acta 23. 11. 

universal justice may be done, and 
that every man may be treated as, 
under all the circumstances of the 
case, he ought to be treated? On the 
subject of the "Imprecations in the 
Scriptures," the reader may consult 
an article in the Bibliothec a Sacra, 
i., 97-110. It should be added, here, 
that some manuscripts, instead of 
diroowi], "may the Lord reward," 
read it in the future — a7ro<5a>o-£i, u will 
reward." See Wetstein. The future 
is also found in the Vulgate and Cop- 
tic versions, and in Augustine, Theo- 
doret, and Chrysostorm Augustine 
says (on the Sermon on the Mount), 
"He does not say, may he reward 
{redded) ; but, he will reward (reddct), 
which is a verb of prophecy, not of im- 
precation." The authorit} 7 , however, 
is not sufficient to justify a change in 
the present reading. These variations 
have doubtless arisen from a belief 
that the common reading expresses a 
sentiment inconsistent with the true 
spirit of a Christian, and a desire to 
find a better. But there is no reason 
for desiring a change in the text. 

15. Of ichom be thou ware also. It 
would seem from this that Alexander 
was still a public teacher, and that his 
discourses were plausible and artful. 
The best and the wisest of men need to 
be on their guard against the efforts of 
the advocates of error. ^ For he hath 
greatly withstood our words. Marg., 
preachings. The Greek is, words; but 
the reference is doubtless to the pub- 
lic teachings of Paul. This verse 
makes it clear that it was no private 
wrong that Paul referred to, but the 
injury which he was doing to the cause 
of truth as a professed public teacher. 

16. At my first ansiver. Gr., apology 
(aTroXoyia), plea, or defense. This evi- 
dently refers to some trial which he 
had had before the Roman emperor. 
He speaks of & first trial of this kind; 
but whether it was on some former 
occasion, and he had been released 
and permitted again to go abroad, or 
whether it was a, trial which he had 
already had during his second impris- 
onment, it is not easy to determine. 
The former is the most natural suppo- 
sition; for, if he had had a trial during 



240 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



his present imprisonment, it is diffi- 
cult to see why he was still held as a 
prisoner. See this point examined in 
the Introd. , § 1. *ftNo man stood ivith me. 
Paul had many friends in Eome (ver. 
21; comp. Rom. xvi.) ; hut it seems 
that they did not wish to appear as 
such when he was put on trial for his 
life. They were doubtless afraid that 
they would be identified with him, and 
would endanger their own lives. It 
should be said that some of the friends 
of the apostle mentioned in Rom. xvi., 
and who were there when that epistle 
was written, may have died before the 
apostle arrived there, or, in the trials 
and persecutions to which they were 
exposed, may have left the city. Still 
it is remarkable that those who were 
there should have all forsaken him on 
so trying an occasion. But to forsake 
a friendln the day of calamity is not 
an uncommon thing, and Paul experi- 
enced what thousands before and since 
have done. Thus Job was forsaken 
by friends and kindred in the day of 
his trials. See his pathetic descrip- 
tion in Job xix. 13-17 : 
He hath put my brethren far from me, 
And mine acquaintance verily are es- 
tranged from me. 
My kinsfolk have failed, 
And my familiar friends have forgotten 
me. 

They that dwell in my house, and my 
maids, count me for a stranger, 

I am an alien in their sight. 

I called my servant, and he gave me no an- 
swer; I entreated him with my mouth. 

My breath is strange to my wife, 

Though I entreated for the children's sake 
of mine own body. 

Thus the Psalmist was forsaken by his 
friends in the time of calamity. Psa. 
xxxv. 12-16; xxxviii. 2; xli. 9; lv. 12. 
And thus the Saviour was forsaken in 
his trials. Matt. xxvi. 56. Comp., for 
illustration, Zech. xiii. 6. The world 
is full of instances in which those who 
have been overtaken by overwhelm- 
ing calamities have been forsaken by 
professed friends, and have been left 
to suffer alone. This has arisen, part- 
ly, from the circumstance that many 
sincere friends are timid, and their 
courage fails them when their attach- 
ment for another would expose them 
to peril; but more commonly from 
the circumstance that there is much 
professed friendship in the world 
which is false, and that calamity be- 
comes a test of it which it can not 
abide. There is professed friendship 



which is caused by wealth (Prov. xiv. 
20; xix. 4); there is that which is 
cherished for those in elevated and 
fashionable circles; there is that 
which is formed for beauty of person, 
or graceful manners, rather than for 
the solid virtues of the heart; there 
is that which is created in the sun- 
shine of life— the affection of those 
" swallow friends who retire in the 
winter and return in the spring.' ' 
Compare the concluding remarks on 
the book of Job. Such friendship is 
always tested by calamity : and when 
affliction comes, they who in the days 
of prosperity were surrounded by 
many flatterers and admirers, are sur- 
prised to find how few there were 
among them who truly loved them. 

In the wind and tempest of his frown, 
Distinction, with a broad and powerful 
fan, 

Puffing at all winnows the light away; 
And what hath mass or matter by itself, 
Lies, rich in virtue and un mingled. 

Troilus and Cressida. 

So common has this been— so little 
confidence can be placed in professed 
friends in time of adversity, that we 
are sometimes disposed to believe 
that there is more truth than fancy 
in the representation of the poet — 

And what is friendship but a name, 

A charm that lulls to sleep ; 
A shade that follows wealth or fame, 
But leaves the wretch to weep ? 

Yet there is true friendship in the 
world. It existed between Damon 
and Pythias, and its power and beauty 
were still more strikingly illustrated 
in the warm affection of David and 
Jonathan. In the trials of David — 
though raised from the condition of a 
shepherd boy— and though having no 
powerful friends at court, the son of 
Saul never forsook him, and never 
gave him occasion to suspect the sin- 
cerity or the depth of his affection. 
With what exquisite beauty David 
sang of that attachment when Jona- 
than was dead ! 

I am distressed for thee, my brother Jon- 
athan ! 

Very pleasant hast thou been unto me ! 
Thy love to me was wonderful, 
Passing the love of women ! 

2 Sam. i. 26. 
True friendship, founded on sincere 
love, so rare, so difficult to be found, 
so little known among the gay and 
the great, is one of the richest of 
Heaven's blessings to man, and when 



A.D. 65.] 



CHAPTER IV. 



241 



stood with nie, and strengthened I might be fully known, and that all 
me; that by me the preaching the Gentiles might hear: and I 



enjoyed, should be regarded as more 
than a compensation for all of show, 
and splendor, and flattery that wealth 
can obtain. 

Though choice of follies fasten on the 
great, 

None clings more obstinate, than fancy 
fond 

That sacred friendship is their easy prey ; 
Caught by the wafture of a golden lure, 
Or fascination of a high-born smile. 
Their smiles the great and the coquette 
throw out 

For other's hearts, tenacious of their own, 
And we no less of ours, when such the bait. 
Ye fortune's cofferers ! ye powers of wealth ! 
Can gold gain friendship ? Impudence of 
hope ! 

As well mere man an angel might beget. 
Love, and love only, is the loan for love. 
Lorenzo ! pride repress; nor hope to find 
A friend, but what has found a friend in 
thee. 

All like the purchase ; few the price will 
pay, 

And this makes friends such miracles 
below. 

A friend is worth all hazards we can run. 
Poor is the friendless master of a world ; 
A world in purchase of a friend is gain. 

Night Thoughts, Night 2. 

I pray God that it may not be laid to 
their charge. That it may not be reck- 
oned, or imputed to them — XoyicrSrE'ir). 
On the meaning of this word, see Notes 
on Rom. iv. 3, and Philem. 18. The 
prayer of the apostle here breathes 
the very spirit of Christ. See Notes 
on Luke xxiii. 34. Comp. Acts vii. 60. 

17. Notwithstanding the Lord stood 
with me. Though all men forsook me, 
yet God did not. This expresses a 
universal truth in regard to the faith- 
fulness of God. See'Psalm xxvii. 10. 
Comp. Job v. 17-19; Isa. xliii. 1, 2. 
% That by me the preaching might be ful- 
ly known. The word preaching here 
probably means the Gospel as preached 
by him. The word rendered "might 
be fully known'' — ir\^po(popi)^r) — 
means, might obtain fall credence ; that 
is, might be fully confirmed, so that 
others might be assured of its truth. 
The apostle doubtless means that on 
his trial, though forsaken by all men, 
he was enabled to be so steadfast in 
his profession of the truth, and so calm 
in the prospect of death, that all who 
witnessed his trial saw that there was 
a reality in religion, and that the Gos- 
pel was founded in truth. He had af- 
L 



firmed, as a preacher, that the Gospel 
was able to support the soul in trial, 
and he was ncvsv able to illustrate its 
power in his own case. He had pro- 
claimed the Gospel as the true system 
of religion, and he was now able to 
bear testimony to it with the prospect 
of approaching martyrdom. The sen- 
timent of this passage then is that the 
truth of the Gospel is made known, or 
that men may become fully assured 
of it, by the testimony which is borne 
to it by its friends in the near pros- 
pect of death. One of the most im- 
portant means of establishing the 
truth of the Gospel in the world has 
been the testimony borne to it by 
martyrs, and the spirit of unwavering 
confidence in God which they have 
evinced. And now one of the most 
important methods of keeping up the 
knowledge of religion in the world, 
and of convincing men of the truth 
of Christianity, is the spirit evinced 
by its friends when they are about to 
die. Men judge much, and justly, of 
the worth of a system of religion by 
its power to impart comfort in the 
day of calamity, and to sustain the 
soul when about to enter on an un- 
tried state of being. That system is 
of little value to mankind which leaves 
us in the day of trial; that is of ines- 
timable worth which will enable us to 
die with the firm hope of a brighter 
and better world. A Christian, hav- 
ing served his God faithfully in life, 
may, therefore, be eminently useful 
when he comes to die. % And, that 
all the Gentiles might hear. Paul was 
at this time in Rome. His trial was 
before a heathen tribunal, and he was 
surrounded by Pagans. Rome, too, 
was then the centre of the world, and 
at all times there was a great conflux 
of strangers there. His trial, there- 
fore, gave him an opportunity of tes- 
tifying to the truth of Christianity 
before Gentile rulers, and in such cir- 
cumstances that the knowledge of 
his suflerings, and of the religion for 
which he suffered, might be conveyed 
by the strangers who witnessed it to 
the ends of the world. His main ob- 
ject in life was to make the Gospel 
known to the Gentiles, and he had 
thus an opportunity of furthering that 
great cause, even on the trial which he 
supposed would determine with him 



242 



II. TIMOTHY. 



[A.D. 65. 



was delivered out of the mouth a 
of the lion. 

18 And the Lord 6 shall deliver 
me from every evil work, and will 
preserve me unto Jiis heavenly 
kingdom : to whom ~be glory for- 
ever and ever. Amen. 

a Psa. 22. 21. 

the question of life or death. Comp. 
Notes on Rom. i. 10. \ And I was de- 
livered out of the mouth of the lion. This 
may either mean that he was delivered 
from Nero, compared with a lion, or 
literally that he was saved from being 
thrown to lions in the amphitheatre, 
as was common in Rome. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. xv. 32 (3). It is not uncom- 
mon in the Scriptures to compare ty- 
rants and persecutors with ravenous 
wild beasts. Comp. Psa. xxii. 13, 21 ; 
Jer. ii. 30. Nero is called a lion by 
Seneca, and it was usual among hea- 
then writers to apply the term in va- 
rious senses to princes and warriors. 
See Grotius, in loc. The common in- 
terpretation of this passage has been 
that it refers to Nero, and there is no 
improbability in the interpretation. 
Still, it is quite as natural to suppose 
that the punishment which had been 
appointed for him, or to which he 
would have been subjected, was to be 
thrown to lions, and that in some way, 
now unknown to us, he had been de- 
livered from it. Paul attributes his 
deliverance entirely to the Lord ; but 
what instrumental agency there may 
have been he does not specify. It 
seems probable that it was his own 
defense; that he was enabled to plead 
his own cause with so much ability 
that he found favor even with the 
Roman emperor, and was discharged. 
If it had been through the help*of a 
friend at court, it is hardly to be sup- 
posed that he would not have men- 
tioned the name of him to whom he 
owed his deliverance. 

18. And the Lord shall deliver me from 
every evil work. He does not say from 
death, for he expected now to die. See 
ver. 6. But he was assured that God 
would keep him from shrinking from 
death when the hour approached; 
from apostasy, and from the manifes- 
tation of an improper spirit when he 
came to die. 1" And will preserve me 
unto his heavenly kingdom. So keep 
me from evil that I shall reach his 
heavenly kingdom. See ver. 8. ^ To 



19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and 
the household of Onesiphorus. 

20 Erastus abode at Corinth : but 
Trophimus have I left at Mile turn 
sick. 

21 Do thy diligence to come be- 
fore winter. Eubulus greeteth 

b Psa. 121. 7. 

whom be glory forever and ever. Paul 
was accustomed to introduce a dox- 
ology in his writings when his heart 
was full (comp. Rom. ix. 5), and in no 
place could it be more appropriate 
than here, when he had the fullest 
confidence that he was soon to enter 
heaven. If man is ever disposed to 
ascribe glory to God, it is on such an 
occasion. 

19. Salute Prisca and Aquila. Prisca, 
or Priscilla, was the wife of Aquila, 
though her name is sometimes men- 
tioned first. In regard to their his- 
tory, see Notes on Rom. xvi. 3. They 
were at Rome when Paul wrote his 
epistle to the Romans, but afterward 
went into Asia Minor, which was the 
native place of Aquila (Acts xviii. 2), 
and where they probably died, f And 
the household of Onesiphorus. See 
Notes on ch. i. 16. 

20. Erastus. See Notes on Rom. xvi. 
23. U Abode at Corinth. This was his 
home, where he filled an important of- 
fice. See Notes on Rom. xvi. 23. It 
would seem that when Paul went to 
Rome, there was some expectation 
that he would accompany him, but 
that reasons had occurred for his re- 
maining in Corinth. His doing so is 
referred to without blame. ^ But 
Trophimus. See Acts xx. 4. He was 
a native of Asia Minor. If Have 1 left 
at Miletum sick. Probably h e designed 
to accompany him to Rome, as he had 
been often with him in his journeys. 
On the situation of Miletus, or Mile- 
tum, see Notes on Acts xx. 15. 

21. Do thy diligence. Ver. 9. ^ To come 
before winter. Probably because of the 
dangers of the navigation then, andbe- 
cause the circumstances of the apostle 
were such as to demand the presence 
of a friend. ^ Eubulus, etc. These 
names are of common occurrence in 
the classic writers, but of the persons 
here referred to we know nothing. 

22. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy 
spirit. See Gal. vi. 18 ; Rom. xv. 20. 
The subscription to this epistle was 
not added by Paul himself, nor is there 



A.D. 65.] 

thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and 
Claudia, and all the brethren. 

22 The Lord Jesus Christ he with 
thy spirit. Grace ~be with you. 
Amen. 



any reason to believe that it was by an 
inspired man, and it is of no authority. 
There is not the slightest evidence 
that Timothy was "ordained the first 
bishop of the Church of the Ephesi- 
ans," or that he was a "bishop" there 



243 

The second epistle unto Timo- 
theus, ordained the first bish- 
op of the Church of the Ephe- 
sians, was written from Rome, 
when Paul was brought be- 
fore 1 Nero the second time. 

1 CcEsar Xero, or (he Emperor Xero. 

at all. There is no reason to believe 
that he was even a pastor there, in the 
technical sense. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
i. 3. Compare the remarks on the sub- 
scriptions to the Epistle to the Rom- 
ans, 1 Corinthians,and especially Titus. 



CHAPTER IV. 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



INTBODUCTION 



§ 1. The History of Titus. 

Of Titus nothing more is certainly known than what we find in 
the epistles of Paul. It is somewhat remarkable that there is no men- 
tion of him in the Acts of the Apostles, nor does his name occur in the 
New Testament any where except in the WTitings of the apostle Paul. 
From his incidental allusions to him, we learn the following particu- 
lars respecting him. 

(1.) He was by birth a Gentile. In Gal. ii. 3 he is called a Greek, 
and it is certain from that passage that he had not been circumcised; 
and the probability is that up to the time of his conversion he had 
lived as other Gentiles, and had not been converted to the Jewish faith. 
His father and mother were, doubtless, both Greeks, and thus he was 
distinguished from Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess, but whose 
father was a Greek. Acts xvi. 3. Compare Notes on Gal. ii. 3. If 
Titus had been proselyted to the Jewish faith, it is to be presumed 
that he would have been circumcised. 

(2.) He had been converted to Christianity by the instrumentality 
of Paul himself. This is clear from the epistle, chap. i. 4 : " To Titus, 
mine own son, after the common faith." Compare Notes on 1 Tim. i. 2. 
This is the language which the apostle would not have used of one 
who had been converted by the instrumentality of another. But where 
he lived, and when or how he was converted, is wholly unknown. As 
to the time when he was converted, it is only known that this occurred 
before the fourteenth year after the conversion of Paul, for at that time 
Titus, a Christian, was with Paul at Jerusalem. Gal. ii. 1. As to the 
'place where he lived, there is some reason to suppose that it was in 
some parjb of Asia Minor — for the Greeks abounded there ; Paul labor- 
ed much there ; and there were numerous converts made there to the 
Christian faith. Still this is not by any means certain. 

(3.) Titus went with Paul to Jerusalem when he was deputed by the 
Church at Antioch, with Barnabas, to lay certain questions before the 
apostles and elders there in reference to the converts from the Gentiles. 
Acts xv. Comp. Gal. ii. 1. It is not known why he took Titus with 
him on that occasion, and the reasons can be only conjectural. See 
Notes on Gal. ii. 1. It is possible that he was taken with him be- 
cause his was a case in point in regard to the question which was to 
come before the apostles and elders of the Church. It is not improb- 
able, from an expression which Paul uses in describing his visit there — 
" neither was Titus compelled to be circumcised" — that the case came 
up for discussion, and that strenuous efforts were made by the Juda- 
izing portion (comp. Gal. ii. 4) to have him circumcised. Paul and 



ccxlviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



Barnabas, however, so managed the cause that the principle was set- 
tled thatit was not necessary that the converts from the heathen should 
"be circumcised. Acts xv. 19, 20. 

(4.) After the council at Jerusalem, it seems probable that Titus re- 
turned with Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by Silas and Judas (Acts 
xv. 23), and afterward he attended the apostle for a considerable time 
in his travels and labors. This appears from a remark in 2 Cor. viii. 
23 : " Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow- 
helper concerning you." From this it would seem that he had been 
with Paul ; that he was as yet not w T ell known ; and that the fact that 
he had been seen with him had led to an inquiry who he was, and 
what was the office which he sustained. That he w r as also a compan- 
ion of Paul, and quite essential to his comfort in his work, is apparent 
from the following allusions to him in the same epistle (2 Cor. vii. 6) : 
" God, that comforteth those who are cast down, comforted us by the 
coming of Titus" (ii. 13) ; "I had no rest in my spirit because I found 
not Titus my brother" (vii. 13); "Yea, and exceedingly the more 
joyed we for the joy of Titus." Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 10 ; 2 Qor. xii. 18. 

(5.)* There is reason to believe that Titus spent some time with the 
apostle in Ephesus. For the Fir£t Epistle to the Corinthians was writ- 
ten at Ephesus, and was sent by the hand of Titus. Introd. to 1 Cor., 
§ 3, 6. It is to be presumed, also, that he would on such an occasion 
send some one with the epistle in whom he had entire confidence, and 
who had been so long with him as to become familiar w T ith his views. 
For Titus, on this occasion, was sent not only to bear the epistle, but to 
endeavor to heal the divisions and disorders there, and to complete 
a collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem which the apostle had 
himself commenced. Comp. Notes on 2 Cor. ii. IB; vii. 6; viii. 6. 
After this he met Paul in Macedonia (2 Cor. vii. 5, 6), but whether he 
was with him when he went with the collection to Jerusalem, and dur- 
ing his imprisonment in Csesarea, or on his voyage to Rome, we have 
no information. 

(6.) We next hear of him as being left by the apostle in the island 
of Crete, that he might " set in order the things that were wanting, 
and ordain elders in every city." Titus i. 5. This is supposed to have 
occurred about the year 62, and after the first imprisonment of the 
apostle at Rome. It is evidently implied that the apostle had been 
himself there with him ; that he had undertaken to accomplish some 
important object there, but that something had j>revented his com- 
pleting it, and that he had left Titus to finish it. This was clearly a 
temporary arrangement, for there is no evidence that it was design- 
ed that Titus should be a permanent " bishop" of Crete, or that he re- 
mained there long. That he did not design that he should be a per- 
manent bishop of that island is clear from chap. iii. 12, where the apos- 
tle directs him, when he should send Artemas to take his place, to come 
to him to Mcopolis. If Titus was a prelatical bishop, the apostle 
would not in this summary manner have superseded him, or removed 
him from his diocese. 

(7.) He was with Paul in Rome during his second imprisonment. 
He did not, however, remain with him until his trial, but left him and 
w r ent into Dalmatia. 2 Tim. iv. 10. For the probable reason why he 



INTRODUCTION. 



ccxlix 



had gone there, see Notes on that place. What became of him after- 
ward, we are not informed. The tradition is, that lie returned to Crete, 
and preached the Gospel there and in the neighboring islands, and died 
at the age of 94. But this tradition depends on no certain evidence. 

§ 2. Island of Crete. 

As Paul (chap. i. 5) says that he had left Titus in Crete to perform 
an important service there, and as the instructions in this epistle doubt- 
less had some peculiar applicability to the state of things existing in 
that island, it is of importance, in order to a correct understanding of 
the epistle, to have some knowledge of the island, and of the circum- 
stances in which the Gospel was introduced there. 

The island of Crete, now Candia, is one of the largest islands in the 
Mediterranean, at the south of all the Cyclades. See the Map of Asia 
Minor prefixed to the Acts of the Apostles. Its name is said by some 
to have been derived from the Curetes, who are supposed to have been 
its first inhabitants ; by others, from trife nymph Crete, daughter of Hes- 
perus ; and by others, from Cres, a son of Jupiter and the nymph Idaea. 
The ancient authors in general say that Crete was originally peopled 
from Palestine. According to Bochart (Lib. 5, c. 15), that part of Pal- 
estine which lies by the Mediterranean was called by the Arabs Keri- 
tha, and by Syrians CretJi ; and the Hebrews called the inhabitants 
CretM, or Crethim, which the Sept. has rendered Kprjrag — Cretans. 
Ezek. xxv. 16 ; Zeph. ii. 5. It would be easy to pass from Palestine to 
the island of Crete. Sir Isaac Newton, also, is of opinion that Crete 
was peopled from Palestine, He says, " Many of the Phoenicians and 
Syrians, in the year before Christ 1045, fled from Ziclon, and from king 
David, into Asia Minor, Crete, Greece, and Libya, and introduced letters, 
music, poetry, the Octceteris, metals and their fabrication, and other arts, 
sciences, and customs of the Phoenicians. Along with these Phoeni- 
cians came a sort of men skilled in religious mysteries, arts, and*sciences 
of Phoenicia, and settled in several places, under the names of Curetes, 
Idaei, Dactyli," etc. According to Pliny, the extent of Crete from east 
to west is about 270 miles, but its breadth nowhere exceeds fifty miles. 
The early inhabitants are generally supposed to be the Eteocretes of 
Homer ; but their origin is unknown. Minos, who had expelled his 
brother Sarpedon from the throne, first gave laws to the Cretans, and, 
having conquered the pirates who infested the iEgean Sea, established 
a powerful navy. In the Trojan war, Idomeneus, sovereign of Crete, 
led its forces to war in eighty vessels — a number little inferior to those 
commanded by Agamemnon himself. At this period the island ap- 
pears to have been inhabited by a mixed population of Greeks and 
barbarians. After the Trojan war the principal cities formed them- 
selves into several republics, for the most part independent, while some 
of them were connected with federal ties. The Cretan code of laws 
was supposed by many to have furnished Lycurgus with the model of 
his most salutary regulations. It was founded on the just basis of lib- 
erty and an equality of rights, and its great aim was to promote social 
harmony and peace, by enforcing temperance and frugality. In regard 
to this code, see Anthon's Class. Die., Art. Greta. In the time of Polyb- 
ius (B. C. 203), the Cretans had much degenerated from their ancient 

L 2 



ccl 



INTRODUCTION. 



character ; for he charges them repeatedly with the grossest immoral- 
ity and the basest vices. Polyb., 4, 47, 53 ; Id., 6, 46. We know, also, 
with what severity they are reproved by Paul, in the words of Epime- 
nides. See Notes on chap. i. 12. Crete was subdued by the Romans, 
and became a part of a Roman province. The interior of the island 
is very hilly and woody, and intersected with fertile valleys. Mount 
Ida, in the centre of the island, is the principal mountain, and surpass- 
es all the others in elevation. The island contains no lakes, and its riv- 
ers are mostly mountain torrents, which are dry during the summer 
season. The valleys, or sloping plains, in the island are represented as 
very fertile. The greater portion of the land is not cultivated ; but it 
might produce sugar-cane, excellent wine," and the best kind of fruit. 
It has a delightful climate, and is remarkably healthful. The ancients 
asserted that this delightful island, the birthplace of Jupiter, was freed, 
by the indulgence of the gods, from every noxious animal. No quad- 
rupeds of a ferocious character belong to it. The wild goat is the 
only inhabitant of the forest and the lofty mountains, and sheep over- 
spread the plains, and graze undisturbed by ravenous enemies. The 
island is now under Turkish rule, and is divided into three pachaliks ; 
but the inhabitants are mostly Greeks, who are kept in a state of great 
depression. The native Candians are of the Greek Church, and are 
allowed the free exercise of their religion. The island is divided 
into twelve bishoprics, the bishop of one of which assumes the title of 
archbishop, and is appointed by the patriarch of Constantinople. The 
situation of this island for commerce can scarcely be surpassed. It is 
at an almost equal distance from Asia, Europe, and Africa, and might 
be made the emporium for the manufactures and agricultural produc- 
tions of each ; but, from the oppressive nature of the government, the 
indolence of the Turks, and the degraded state of the Greeks, those 
advantages are not improved, and its condition partakes of that of the 
general condition of the Turkish empire. 

This island was formerly famous for its hundred cities ; it is distin- 
guished in the ancient fabulous legends for the arrival there of Europa, 
on a bull, from Phoenicia ; for the la ws of Minos ; for the labyrinth, the 
work of Daedalus ; and, above all, as the place where Jupiter was born 
and was buried. According to the fables of mythology, he was born 
in a cavern near Lyctus, or Cnosus ; was rocked in a golden cradle ; 
was fed with honey, and with the milk of the goat Amalthea, while 
the Curetes danced around him, clashing their arms to prevent his 
cries from being heard by Saturn. He became, according to the le- 
gend, the king of Crete, and was buried on the island. See Anthon, 
Class. Die, Art. Jupiter, 

§ 3. The Introduction of the Gospel into Crete. 
We have no certain information in regard to the time when the Gos- 
pel was first preached in Crete, or by whom it was done. There are 
some circumstances mentioned, however, which furnish all the light 
which we need on this point in order to an understanding of the epis- 
tle before us. Among the persons who were in Jerusalem on the day 
of Pentecost, and who were converted there, Cretans are mentioned 
(Acts ii. 11) ; and it is highly probable that, when they returned to 



INTRODUCTION. 



ccli 



their homes, they made the Gospel known to their countrymen. Yet 
history is wholly silent as to the method by which it was done, and 
as to the result on the minds of the inhabitants. As no visit of any 
of the apostles to that island is mentioned by Luke in the Acts of the 
Apostles, it may be presumed that the Gospel there had not produced 
any very marked success ; and the early history of Christianity there 
is to us unknown. 

It is clear from the epistle before us .(chap. i. 5), that the apostle Paul 
was there on some occasion, and that the Gospel, either when he was 
there or before, was attended with success. " For this cause I left thee 
in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, 
and ordain elders in every city." Here it is manifest that Paul had 
been there with Titus ; that he had commenced some arrangements 
which he had not been able himself to complete ; and that the Gos- 
pel had had an effect extensively on the island, since he was to ordain 
elders " in every city" 

It is not certainly known, however, when Paul was there. There is 
no mention in the Acts of the Apostles of his having been there, ex- 
cept when he was on his way to Rome (Acts xxvii. 7, 8), and this was 
in such circumstances as to preclude the supposition that that was the 
time referred to in this epistle : — for (1.) Titus was not then with him ; 
(2.) there is no reason to suppose that he remained there long enough 
to preach the Gospel to any extent, or to establish churches. He was 
sailing to Rome as a prisoner, and there is no probability that he 
would be permitted to go at large and preach for any considerable 
time. There is, therefore, a moral certainty that it must have been on 
some other occasion. "It is striking," says Neander {History of the 
Planting of the Christian Church, vol. i., p. 400, 401), " that while 
Luke in the Acts reports so fully and circumstantially the occurrences 
of the apostle's last voyage to Rome, and mentions his stay in Crete, he 
says not a word (contrary to his usual practice in such cases) of the 
friendly reception given to him by the Christians there, or even of his 
meeting them at all. Hence we may conclude that no Christian church- 
es existed in that island, though that transient visit would naturally 
give rise to the intention of planting the Gospel there, which he prob- 
ably fulfilled soon after he was set at liberty, when he came into these 
parts." 

There is reason to believe that Paul, after his first imprisonment at 
Rome, was released, and again visited Asia Minor and Macedonia. 
See Introd. to 2 Timothy. On this journey, it is not improbable that 
he may have visited Crete, having, as Neander supposes, had his at- 
tention called to this island as a desirable place for preaching the 
Gospel, when on his way to Rome. "If we may be allowed to sup- 
pose," says Dr. Paley {Hot, Paul.), "that St. Paul, after his liberation at 
Rome, sailed into Asia, taking Crete in his way ; that from Asia, and 
from Ephesus, the capital of that country, he proceeded into Mace- 
donia, and, crossing the peninsula in his progress, came into the neigh- 
borhood of Nicopolis, we have a route which falls in with every thing. 
It executes the intention expressed by the apostle of visiting Colosse 
and Philippi, as soon as he should be set at liberty at Rome. It al- 
lows him to leave 4 Titus at Crete,' and ' Timothy at Ephesus, as he 



cclii 



INTRODUCTION. 



went into Macedonia/ and to write to both, not long after, from the 
peninsula of Greece, and probably from the neighborhood of Nicopo- 
lis, thus bringing together the dates of these two letters" (1 Tim. and 
Titus), " and thereby accounting for that affinity between them, both 
in subject and language, which our remarks have pointed out. I con- 
fess that the journey which we have thus traced out for St. Paul is in 
a great measure hypothetic; but it should be observed that it is a 
species of consistency which seldom belongs to falsehood, to admit of 
an hypothesis which includes a great number of remote and independ- 
ent circumstances without contradiction." See Neander, History of 
the Planting of the Christian Church, vol. i., p. 401. Comp., however, 
Introd. to 1 Tim. § 2. 

Why Paul left Crete without completing the work which was to be 
done, and especially without ordaining the elders himself, is not cer- 
tainly known. There is evidently a striking resemblance between the 
circumstances which induced him to leave Titus there, and those which 
existed at Ej3hesus when he left Timothy there to complete an impor- 
tant work. 1 Tim. i. 3, 4. We know that Paul was driven away from 
Ephesus before he had finished the work there which he had purposed 
to accomplish (Acts xix., xx. 1) ; and it is not at all improbable that 
some such disturbance took place in Crete. Comp. Koppe, Proleg., 
p. 194. When he thus left, he committed to Titus the work which he 
had designed to accomplish, with instructions to finish it as soon as 
possible, and then to come to him at Nicopolis. Chap. iii. 12. 

§ 4. The Place, Time, and Occasion of Writing the Epistle. 

There has been much diversity of opinion as to the time and place 
of writing this epistle.- 

In regard to the place, there can be little doubt that it was at a M- 
copolis; for the apostle, in chap. iii. 12, directs Titus to come to him 
at that place. But it is not easy to determine what Nicopolis is meant, 
for there were many cities of that name. The person who affixed the 
subscription at the end of the epistle, affirms that it was the "Nicop- 
olis of Macedonia but, as has been frequently remarked in these 
Notes, these subscriptions are of no authority. The name Mcopolis 
(meaning, properly, a city of victory — v'uzn and ttoXiq) was given to sev- 
eral places. There was a city of this name in Thrace, on the river 
Nessus, now called Nikopi. There was also a city of the same name 
in Epirus, two in Moesia, another in Armenia, another in Cilicia, and 
another in Egypt, in the vicinity of Alexandria. It is by no means 
easy to ascertain which of these cities is meant, though, as Paul was 
accustomed to travel in Greece and Asia Minor, there seems to be a 
probability that one of these cities is intended. The only way of de- 
termining this with any degree of probability is to ascertain what city 
was oest Tcnoicn by that name at the time when the epistle was written, 
or what city one would be likely to go to, if he were directed to go to 
Nicopolis, without any further specification — as if one were directed 
to go to Philadelphia, London, or Eome. In such a case, he would go 
to the principal city of that name, though there might be many smaller 
places of that name also. But even this would not be absolutely certain, 
for Paul may have specified to Titus the place where he himself expected 



INTRODUCTION. 



ccliii 



to go before lie left hiin, so that he would be in no danger of doubt 
where the place was. But if we were to allow this consideration to 
influence us in regard to the place, there can be little doubt that the 
city which he meant was Mcopolis in Epirus, and the common opin- 
ion has been that the apostle alludes to this city. This Mcopolis 
was situated in Epirus, in Greece, north-west of Corinth and Athens, 
on the Ambracian gulf, and near its mouth. See the Map prefixed 
to the Acts of the Apostles. On the same gulf, and directly opposite 
to Mcopolis, is Actium, the place where Augustus achieved a signal 
victory over Mark Anthony ; and the city of Mcopolis he built in 
honor of that victory. Augustus was anxious to raise this city to 
the highest rank among the cities of Greece, and caused games to be 
celebrated there, with great pomp, every few years. Having after- 
ward fallen into decay, the city was restored by the emperor Julian. 
Modern travelers describe the remains of Mcopolis as very extensive ; 
the site which they now occupy is called Prevesa Vecchia. See An- 
thon's Class. Die. It should be said, however, that there is no abso- 
lute certainty about the place where the epistle was written. Mac- 
knight and Benson suppose it was at Colosse ; Lardner supposes it 
was in or near Macedonia ; Hug, at Ephesus! 

If the epistle was written from the Mcopolis referred to, then it 
was probably after Paul's first imprisonment at Borne. If so, it was 
written about the year 63 or 64. But there is a great diversity of 
opinion as to the time. Lardner and Hug place it in the year 56. It 
is of no material importance to be able to determine the exact time. 

The occasion on which it was written is specified by the apostle 
himself, with such clearness that there can be no doubt on that point. 
Paul had left Titus in Crete, to " set in order the things that were 
wanting, and to ordain elders in every city" (chap. i. 5) ; and as he 
had himself, perhaps, been called to leave suddenly,' it was impor- 
tant that Titus should have more full instructions than he had been 
able to give him on various points of duty, or, at any rate, that he 
should have 'permanent instructions to wmich he could refer. The 
ejDistle is occupied, therefore, mainly with such counsels as were ap- 
propriate to a minister of the Gospel engaged in the duties which 
Titus was left to discharge. 

The principal difficulties which it was apprehended Titus would 
meet with in the performance of his duties there, and which, in fact, 
made his labors there desirable, arose from two sources ; (1.) the char- 
acter of the Cretans themselves ; and (2.) the influence of Judaizing 
teachers. 

(1.) The character of the Cretans themselves was such as to demand 
the vigilance and care of Titus. They were a people characterized for 
insincerity, falsehood, and gross living. Chap. i. 12. There was great 
danger, therefore, that their religion would be hollow and insincere, 
and great need of caution lest they should be corrupted from the sim- 
plicity and purity required in the Gospel. Chap. i. 13. 

(2.) The influence of Judaizing teachers was to be guarded against. 
It is evident from Actsii. 11 that there were Jews residing there ; and 
it is probable that it w T as by those who had gone from that island to 
Jerusalem to attend the feast of the Pentecost, and who had been con- 



ccliv 



INTRODUCTION. 



verted on that occasion, that the Gospel was first introduced there. 
From this epistle, also, it is clear that one of the great clangers to piety 
in the churches of Crete arose from the efforts of such teachers, and from 
the plausible arguments which they would use in favor of the Mosaic 
law. See chap. i. 10, 14-16 ; iii. 9. To counteract the effect of their 
teaching, it was necessary to have ministers of the Gospel appointed 
in every important place, who should be qualified for their work. To 
make these arrangements was the great design for which Titus was 
left there ; and to give him full information as to the kind of ministers 
which was needed, this epistle was written. 

There is a very striking resemblance between this epistle and the 
first epistle to Timothy. See Paley's Harce Paulinm. u Both letters 
were addressed to persons left by the writer to preside in their respect- 
ive churches during his absence. Both letters are principally occupied 
in describing the qualifications to be stmght for in those whom they 
should appoint to offices in, the Church; and the ingredients of this 
description are, in both letters, nearly the same. Timothy and Titus, 
likewise, are cautioned against the same prevailing corruptions, and, 
in particular, against the same misdirection of their cares and studies." 
— Paley. This similarity is found, not only in the general structure of 
the epistles, but also in particular phrases and expressions. Conrp. 1 
Tim. i. 2, 3, with Titus i. 4, 5 ; 1 Tim. i. 4, with Titus i. 14, iii. 9 ; 1 Tim. 
iv. 12, with Titus ii. 7, and ii. 15 ; 1 Tim. iii. 2-4, with Titus i. 6-8. 

It is evident from this that the epistles were written by the same 
person, and to those who were in substantially the same circumstances. 
These coincidences are incidental proofs that they are genuine, and 
that they were written by the person and to the persons whose names ap- 
pear, and on the occasions which are said in the epistle to have existed. 
On the subjects in this introduction,the reader may consult Macknight's 
Introduction to the Epistle ; Michaelis's Introduction ; Benson, Koppe, 
and especially Paley 's Horn Paulince — a work which will never be con- 
sulted without profit. 



EPISTLE OF PAUL TO TITUS 



CHAPTER I. 

PAUL, a servant of God, and an 
apostle of Jesus Christ, ac- 

a 2 Tim. 2. 25. 



CHAPTER I. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter embraces the following 
points : 

1. The usual inscription and saluta- 
tion. Ver. 1-4. In this Paul declares 
himself to be the author of the epistle, 
and asserts in the strongest manner 
his claims to the apostleship. He al- 
ludes to the great cause in which, as 
an apostle, he was engaged — as acting 
under the eternal plan of God for the 
salvation of the elect, and as appoint- 
ed to communicate the glorious truths 
of that system which had been now re- 
vealed to mankind. The object of this 
seems to be to impress the mind of Ti- 
tus with his right to give him instruc- 
tion. 

2. A statement of the objectfor which 
Titus had been left in Crete, and the 
general character of the work which 
he was to perform there. Ver. 5. 

3. The qualifications of those who 
were to be ordained to the ministry. 
Ver. 6-9. The characteristics laid down 
are substantially the same as in 1 Tim. 
iii. 

4. Reasons for great caution and pru- 
dence in thus appointing elders over 
the churches. Ver. 10-13. Those rea- | 
sons arose from the character of the 
Cretans. There were many deceivers 
there, and the character of the Cretans 
was such that there was danger that 
they who professed to be Christians 
would be hypocritical, and that, if put 
into the eldership, they would do great 
injury to the cause. 

5. A solemn charge to Titus to re- 
buke them faithfully for their prevail- 
ing and characteristic vices, and to 
avoid giving any countenance to the 
vice for which they were so much dis- 
tinguished. Ver. 13-16. 

1. Taul, a servant of God, and an apos- 



cording to the faith of God's elect, 
and the acknowledging a of the^ 
truth which b is after godliness ; 

b 1 Tim. 6. 3. 

tie of Jesus Christ. See Notes on Rom. 
i.l ; 1 Cor. ix. 1-5. *f According to the 
faith of God's elect. See Notes on Rom. 
viii.33; Eph. i.4; 2 Tim. ii. 10. The 
meaning of the word rendered here, 
"according to"— Kara— is, probably, 
with reference to; thatis, he was appoint- 
ed to be an apostle ivith respect to the 
faith of those whom God had chosen, 
or, in order that they might be led to 
believe the Gospel. God had chosen 
them to salvation, but he intended that 
it should be in connection with their * 
believing, and, in order to that, he had 
appointed Paul to be an apostle that 
he might go and make known to them 
the Gospel. It is the purpose of God 
to save his people, but he does not 
mean to save them as infidels or unbe- 
lievers. He intends that they shall be 
believers first— and hence he sends his 
ministers that they may become such. 
^ And the acknowledging of the truth. 
In order to secure the acknowledg- 
ment or recognition of the truth. The 
object of the apostleship, as it is of the 
ministry in general, is to secure the 
proper acknowledgment of the truth 
am ong men. If Which is after godliness. 
Which tends to promote piety toward 
God. On the word rendered godliness, 
see Notes on 1 Tim. ii. 2; iii. 16. The 
truth, the acknowledgment of which 
Paul was appointed to secure, was not 
scientific, historical, or political truth : 
it was that of religion — that which was 
adapted to lead men to a holy life, and 
to prepare them for a holy heaven. 

2. In hope of eternal life. ' Marg. , for. 
Gr., 'Ett' sXtt'iSl. This does not mean 
that Paul himself cherished the hope 
of eternal life, but that the "faith of 
the elect" which he aimed to secure 
was in order that men might have the 
hope of eternal life. The whole sys- 
tem which he was appointed to preach 
was designed to secure to man a well- 
founded ^ hope of salvation. Comp. 



256 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



2 1 In hope of eternal life, which 
God, that a can not lie, promised 
before h the world began ; 

3 But c hath in due times mani- 
fested his word through preaching, 
d which is committed unto me, ac- 
cording to the commandment of 
God our Saviour ; 

1 or, For. a 1 Sam. 15, 29. 

b Matt. 25. 34. c 2 Tim. 1.10. Heb. 6. 18. 

Notes on 2 Tim. i. 10. If Which God, 
that can not lie. On the phrase "can 
not lie," see Notes on Heb. vi. 18. The 
fact that God can not lie; that it is his 
nature always to speak the truth ; that 
no circumstances can ever occur in 
which he will depart from it, is the 
foundation of all our hopes of salva- 
tion. IT Promised. The only hope of 
salvation is in the promise of God. It 
is only as we can have evidence that he 
has assured us that we may he saved, 
that we are authorized to cherish any 
hope of salvation. That promise is 
not made to us as individuals, or by 
name, but it becomes ours, (1.) because 
he has made a general promise that 
they who repent and believe shall be 
saved; and (2.) because we may have 
evidence that we have actually repent- 
ed, and do believe the Gospel. If this 
is so, we fairly come under the promise 
of salvation, and may apply it to our- 
selves. Before the world began. That 
is, the purpose was then formed, and 
the promise may be considered as in 
fact then made ; for a purpose in the 
mind of God, though it is not as yet 
made known, is equivalent to a prom- 
ise. Comp. Notes on Matt. xxv. 34; 2 
Tim.i.9. 

3. But hath in due times. At the 
proper time ; the time which he had 
intended ; the best time. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. ii. 6. Comp. Notes on Matt, 
ii. 2. Manifested his word through 
preaching. See Notes on 2 Tim. ii. 10. 
The meaning here is, that he has made 
known his eternal purpose through 
the preaching of the Gospel. Comp. 
Notes on Kb m. x. 14, 15. Which is 
committed unto me. Not exclusively, 
but in common with others. See Notes 
on 2 Tim. i. 11. ^According to the com- 
mandment of God our Saviour. Paul 
always claimed to be divinely com- 
missioned, and affirmed that he was 
engaged in the work of preaching by 
the authority of God. See Gal. i. 1-12; 
1 Cor. i. 1; Rom. i. 1-4. 



4 To Titus, mine own son e after 
the common faith : Grace, mercy, 
and peace, from God the Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ our 
Saviour. 

5 For this cause left I thee in 
Crete, that thou shouldest set in 
order f the things that are 2 want- 
ed Rom. 10.14,15. el Tim. 1.1, 2. 

/ 1 Cor. 1 1 . 34. 2 or, left undone. 

4. To Titus. See the Introd., § 1. 
1" Mine own son. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
i. 2. After the common faith. The 
faith of all Christians; equivalent to 
saying "my son in the Gospel." That 
is, Paul had been the means of con- 
verting him by preaching that Gospel 
which was received by all who were 
Christians. If Grace, mercy, and peace, 
etc. See Notes on Rom. i. 7. 

5. For this cause left I thee in Crete. 
Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. i. 3. On the 
situation of Crete, see the Introd., § 2. 
If That thou shouldest set in order the 
things that are wanting. Marg., left un- 
done. The Greek is, " the things that 
are left ;" that is, those which were 
left unfinished; referring, doubtless, 
to arrangements which had been com- 
menced, but which for some cause had 
been left incomplete. Whether this 
had occurred because he had been 
driven away by persecution, or called 
away by important duties demand- 
ing his attention elsewhere, can not 
now be determined. The word ren- 
dered u set in order"— tTridiopSooari — 
occurs nowhere else in the New Tes- 
tament. It means, properly, to make 
straight upon, and then to put further 
to rights, to arrange further.— Robin- 
son, Lex. There were things left un- 
finished which he was to complete. 
One of these things, and perhaps the 
principal, was to appoint elders in 
the various cities where the Gospel 
had been preached. ^ And ordain. 
The word ordain has now acquired a 
technical signification which it can 
not be shown that it has in the New 
Testament. It means, in common 
usage, to " invest with a ministerial 
function or sacerdotal power; to in- 
troduce, and establish, and settle in 
the pastoral office with the customary 
forms and solemnities" (Webster); 
and, it may be added, with the idea 
always connected with it, of the im- 
position of hands. But the word used 
here does not necessarily convey this 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER I. 



257 



ing, and ordain a elders in every 
city as I had appointed thee : 

a Acts 14. 23. 2 Tim. 2. 2. 



6 If any be blameless, the hus- 
band of one wife, having faithful 



meaning, or imply that Titus was to 
go through what would now be called 
an ordination service. It means to set, 
place, or constitute ; then, to set over 
any thing, as a steward or other officer 
(see Matt. xxiv. 45 ; Luke xii. 42 ; Acts 
vi. 3), though without reference to any 
particular mode of investment with 
an office. See the word ordain ex- 
plained in the Notes on Acts i. 22; 
xiv. 23. Titus was to appoint or set 
them over the churches, though with 
what ceremony is now unknown. 
There is no reason to suppose that he 
did this except as the result of the 
choice of the people. Comp. Notes on 
Acts vi. 3. ^Elders. Gr., presbyters. 
See the word explained in the Notes 
on Acts xiv. 23. These elders, or pres- 
byters, were also called bishops (comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 1), for Paul im- 
mediately, in describing their qualifi- 
cations, calls them bishops : " Ordain 
elders in every city — if any be blame- 
less — for a bishop must be blameless," 
etc. If the elders and bishops in the 
times of the apostles were of different 
ranks, this direction w^ould be wholly 
unmeaning. It would be the same as 
if the following direction were given 
to one who was authorized to appoint 
officers over an army : "Appoint cap- 
tains over each company, who shall be 
of good character, and acquainted 
with military tactics, for a brigadier- 
general must be of good character, and 
acquainted with the rules of war." 
That the same rank is denoted also 
by the terms presbyter and bishop here 
is farther apparent because the quali- 
fications which Paul states as requi- 
site for the "bishop" are not those 
which pertain to a prelate or a dio- 
cesan bishop, but to one who was a 
pastor of a Church, or an evangelist. 
It is clear, from ver. 7, that those 
whom Titus was to appoint were 
" bishops," and yet it is absurd to 
suppose that the apostle meant pre- 
latical bishops, for no one can believe 
that such bishops were to be appoint- 
ed in " every city" of the island. Ac- 
cording to all modern notions of 
Episcopacy, one such bishop would 
have been enough for such an island 
as Crete, and indeed it has been not 
unfrequently maintained that Titus 
himself w T as in fact the bishop of that 



diocese. But if these were not prel- 
ates who were to be ordained by Ti- 
tus, then it is clear that the term 
"bishop" in the New Testament is 
given to the presbyters or elders ; 
that is, to all ministers of the Gospel. 
That usage should never have been 
departed from. *j[ In every > city. Crete 
was anciently celebrated for the num- 
ber of its cities. In one passage Ho- 
mer ascribes to the island a hundred 
cities {II., ii., 649), in another nine- 
ty ( Od. , xix. , 174). It maybe presumed 
that many of these cities were towns 
of no very considerable size, and yet 
it would seem probable that each one 
was large enough to have a Church, 
and to maintain the Gospel. Pau;, 
doubtless, expected that Titus would 
travel over the whole island, and en- 
deavor to introduce the Gospel in 
every important place. If As I had 
appointed thee. As I commanded thee, 
or gave thee direction — oivra^a^v. 
This is a different word from the one 
used in the former part of the verse, 
and rendered ordain — KaSlorTrjfjLi. It 
does not mean that Titus was to or- 
dain elders in the same manner as 
Paul had ordained him, but that he 
was to set them over the cities as he 
had directed him to do. He had, doubt- 
less, given him oral instructions, when 
he left him, as to the way in which it 
was to be done. 

6. If any be blameless, the husband of 
one wife. See Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 2. 
IT Saving faithful children. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. iii. 4, 5. That is, having a 
family well-governed, and well-trained 
in religion. The word here— ttlctto.— 
applied to the children, and rendered 
faithful, does not necessarily mean 
that they should be truly pious, but 
it is descriptive of those who had 
been well-trained, «and who were in 
due subordination. If a man's family 
were not of his character ; if his chil- 
dren were insubordinate, and opposed 
to religion ; if they were decided in- 
fidels or scoffers, it would show that 
there was such a deficiency in the 
head of the family that he could not 
be safely intrusted with the govern- 
ment of the Church. Comp. Notes 
on 1 Tim. iii. 5. It is probably true, 
also, that the preachers at that time 
would be selected, as far as practica- 



258 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



children, not accused of riot, or 
unruly. 

7 For a bishop a must be blame- 
less, as the steward of God; not 
self-willed, not soon angry, not 

a 1 Tim. 3. 2, etc. 



ble, from those whose families were 
all Christians. There might be great 
impropriety in placing a man over a 
Church, a part of whose family were 
Jews or heathens. ^ Not accused of 
riot. That is, whose children were not 
accused of riot. This explains what 
is meant by faithful. The word ren- 
dered riot — aawTias — is translated ex- 
cess in Eph. v. 18, and riot in Tit. i. 6; 
1 Pet. iv. 4. It does not elsewhere oc- 
cur in the New Testament, though the 
word riotous is found in Luke xv. 13. 
See it explained in the Notes on Eph. 
v. 18. The meaning here is, that they 
should not be justly accused of this ; 
that this should not be their charac- 
ter. It would, doubtless, be a good 
reason now why a man should not be 
ordained to the ministry, that he had 
a dissipated and disorderly family. 
IT Or unruly. Insubordinate; ungov- 
erned. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 9; and 
iii. 4. 

7. For a bishop must be blameless. 1 
Tim. iii. 2. *j[ As the steward of God. 
See Notes on 1 Cor. iv. 1, 2. A man, 
in order to perform the duties of such 
an office, should be one against whom 
no accusation could lie. ^ Not self- 
willed. Comp. 2 Pet. ii. 10. The word 
■ — au£ra8r}5 — does not elsewhere occur 
in the New Testament. It m eans, prop- 
erly, self-complacent ; and then, assum- 
ing, arrogant, imperious. — Rob., Lex. 
The gist of the offense — the very "head 
and front" — is that of being self-com- 
placent ; a trait of character which, of 
necessity, makes a man imperious, 
dogmatical, impatient of contradic- 
tion, and unyielding. Such a man, evi- 
dently, is not fit for the office of a 
minister of the Gospel. *ft Not soon 
angry. See Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 2, and 
the margin there. ^[ Not given to wine. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 3. *§No striker. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 3. ^Not given 
to filthy lucre. In 1 Tim. iii., u Not 
greedy of filthy lucre." The same 
Greek word is used. 

8. But a lover of hospitality. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 2. Tf A lover of good 
men. Marg., u or things.'''' The Greek 
((piXayaSos) means, a lover of good, and 



given to wine, no striker, not given 
to filthy lucre ; 

8 But a lover of hospitality, a 
lover of good 1 men, sober, just, 
holy, temperate ; 

1 or, things. 

may appl} 7 to any thing that is good. 
It may refer to good men, as included 
under the general term good; and 
there is no more essential qualifica- 
tion of a bishop than this. A man 
who sustains the office of a minister 
of the Gospel should love every good 
object, and be ever ready to promote 
it; and he should love every good 
man, no matter in what denomination 
or country he may be found— no mat- 
ter what his complexion, and no mat- 
ter what his rank in life. Comp. Notes 
on Phil. iv. 8. Tf Sober. See Notes on 
1 Tim. i. 2. T[ Just. Upright in his 
dealings with all. A minister can do 
little good who is not. Comp. Notes 
on Phil. iv. 8. If Holy. Pious, or de- 
vout. Faithful in ail his duties to 
God. See Notes on 1 Tim. ii. 8. If Tem- 
perate. kjKpari]. Having power or 
control over his passions. We apply 
the term now to abstinence from in- 
toxicating liquors. In the Scriptures, 
it includes not only that, but also 
much more. It implies control over 
all our passions and appetites. See it 
explained in the Notes on Acts xxiv. 
25. Comp. 1 Cor. vii. 9 ; ix. 25 ; Gal. 
v. 23. 

9. Holding fast the faithful word. 
That is, the true doctrines of the Gos- 
pel. This means that he is to hold 
this fast in opposition to one who 
would wrest it away, and in opposi- 
tion to all false teachers, and to all 
sj^stems of false philosophy. He must 
be a man who is firm in his belief of 
the doctrines of the Christian faith, 
and a man who can be relied on to 
maintain and defend those doctrines. 
Comp. Notes on 2 Thess. ii. 15. If As 
he hath been taught. Marg. , in teaching. 
Gr., "According to the teaching." 
The sense is, according to that doc- 
trine as taught by the inspired teach- 
ers of religion. It does not mean as 
he had individually been taught ; but 
he was to hold the faith as it was de- 
livered by those whom the Saviour 
had appointed to make it known to 
mankind. The phrase "the doctrine," 
or " the teaching," had a sort of tech- 
nical meaning, denoting the Gospel, 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER I. 



250 



Holding a fast the faithful word, 
1 as he hath been taught, that he 
may be able by sound doctrine 
both to exhort and to convince 
the gainsay ers. 

10 For there are many unruly and 

a 2 Thess. 2. 15. 1 or, in teaching. 



as that which had been communicated 
to mankind, not by human reason, but 
by teaching. ^[ That he may be able by 
sound doctrine. By sound teaching or 
instruction. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 10 ; 
iv. 16. He was not to dictate or to 
denounce, but to seek to convince by 
the statement of the truth. See Notes 
on 2 Tim. ii. 25. Both to exhort and 
to convince. To persuade them, or to 
bring them over to your views by 
kind exhortation, and by the instruc- 
tion which will convince. The former 
method is to be used where men know 
the truth, but need encouragement to 
follow it ; the latter, where they are 
ignorant, or are opposed to it. Both 
exhortation and argument are to be 
used by the ministers of religion. 
%The gainsay 'ers. Opposers. Literally, 
those who speak against; that is, against 
the truth. See Notes on Rom. x. 21. 

10. For there are many unruly and 
vain talkers and deceivers. There are 
many persons who are indisposed to 
submit to authority (see the word un- 
ruly in ver. 6) ; many who are vain 
talkers— -who are more given to talk 
than to the duties of practical relig- 
ion (see the character of "Talkative" 
in the Pilgrim'' s Progress) ; and many 
who live to deceive others under the 
mask of religion. They make great 
pretensions to piety ; they are fluent 
in argument, and they urge their 
views in a plausible manner. ^Spe- 
cially they of the circumcision. Jews, 
spoken of here as " of the circumcis- 
ion" particularly, because they urged 
the necessity of circumcision in order 
that men might be saved. See Notes 
on Acts xv. 1. This proves that there 
were not a few J ews in the island of 
Crete. 

11. Whose mouths musj be stopped. 
The word here rendered stopped — i-m- 
(ttoixl^elv — occurs nowhere else in the 
New Testament. It means, properly, 
to check or curb, as with a bridle; to 
restrain, or bridle in ; and then to put 
to silence. It is, of course, implied 
here that this was to be done in a 
proper way, and in accordance with 



vain talkers 6 and deceivers, spe- 
cially they of the circumcision : 

11 Whose mouths must be stop- 
ped ; vvbo subvert c whole houses, 
teaching things which they ought 
not, for filthy lucre's sake. 

b James 1. 26. c Matt. 23. 14. 

the spirit of the Gospel. The apostle 
gives Timothy no civil power to do it, 
nor does he direct him to call in the 
aid of the civil arm. All the agency 
which he specifies as proper for this 
is that of argument and exhortation. 
These are the proper means of silenc- 
ing the advocates of error; and the 
history of the Church shows that the 
ministers of religion can be safely in- 
trusted with no other. Comp. Psn. 
xxxii. 8, 9. ^Who subvert whole houses. 
Whole families. Comp. Matt, xxiii. 14; 
2 Tim. iii. 6. That is, they turn them 
aside from the faith. ^[ Teaching things 
which they ought not, for filthy lucre's 
sake. For gain. That is, they incul- 
cate such doctrines as will make them 
popular, and as will give them access 
to the confidence of the people. They 
make it their first object to acquire 
influence as ministers of religion, and 
then abuse that influence in order to 
obtain money from the people. This 
they would doubtless do under many 
pretenses ; such as that it was need- 
ful for the support of the Gospel, or 
for the relief of the poor, or perhaps 
for the assistance of distant Christians 
in persecution. Keligion is the most 
powerful principle that ever governs 
the mind; and if a man has the con- 
trol of that, it is no difficult thing to 
induce men to give up their worldly 
possessions. In all ages, there have 
been impostors who have taken ad- 
vantage of the powerful principle of 
religion to obtain money from their 
deluded followers. No people can be 
too vigilant in regard to pretended re- 
ligious teachers ; and while it is un- 
doubtedly a duty to contribute lib- 
erally for the support of the Gospel 
and the promotion of every good 
cause, it is no less a duty to examine 
with care every proposed object of 
benevolence, and to watch with an 
eagle eye those who have the dis- 
bursement of the charities of the 
Church. It is very rare that ministers 
ought to have much to do with dis- 
posing of the funds given for benevo- 
lent purposes ; and when they do, they 



260 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



12 One a of themselves, even a 
prophet of their own, said, The 

a Acts 17. 28. 



should in all cases be associated with 
their lay brethren. See Paley's Horce 
Paitlince, ch. iv., No. 1, 3, note. Comp. 
1 Cor. xvi. 3. On the phrase "filthy 
lucre," see Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 3. 

12. One of themselves. That is, one 
of the Cretans. The quotation here 
shows that Paul had his eye not only 
on the Jewish teachers there, but on 
the native Cretans. The meaning is, 
that, alike in reference to Jewish 
teachers and native-born Cretans, 
there was need of the utmost vigilance 
in the selection of persons for the min- 
istry. They all had well-known traits 
of character, which made it proper 
that no one should be introduced into 
the ministry without extreme caution. 
It would seem, also, from the reason- 
ing of Paul here, that the trait of char- 
acter here referred to pertained not 
only to the native Cretans, but also to 
the character of the Jews residing 
there ; for he evidently means that the 
caution should extend to all who dwelt 
on the island. U Even a prophet of their 
own. Or, a poet; for the word prophet 
— 7rpo(piWr]<s — like the Latin word vates, 
was often applied to poets, because 
they were supx>osed to be inspired of 
the muses, or to write under the influ- 
ence of inspiration. So Virgil, Ed., 
9, 32: "Et me fecere poetam Pierides 
. . . me quoque dicunt vatem pas- 
tores." Y&vro,Ling. Lat.,6, 3: " Vates 
pcetse dicti sunt." The term prophet 
was also given by the Greeks to one 
who was regarded as the interpreter of 
the gods, or who explained the ob- 
scure responses of the oracles. As 
such an interpreter — as one who thus 
saw future events — he was called a 
prophet; and as the poets claimed 
much of this kind of knowledge, the 
name was given to them. It was also 
given to one who was regarded as em- 
inently endowed with wisdom, or who 
had that kind of sagacity by which the 
results of present conduct might be 
foreseen, as if he was under the influ- 
ence of a kind of inspiration. The 
word might have been applied to the 
person here referred to— Epimenides 
— in this latter sense, because he was 
eminently endowed with wisdom. He 
was one of the seven wise men of 
Greece. He was a contemporary of 
Solon, and was born at Phsestus, in 



Cretians are always liars, evil 
beasts, slow bellies. 



the island of Crete, B.C. 659, and is 
said to have reached the age of 157 
years. Many marvelous tales are told 
of him (see Anthon, Class. Die ), which 
are commonly supposed to be fabu- 
lous, and which are to be traced to the 
invention of the Cretans. The event 
in his life which is best known is that 
he visited Athens, at the request of 
the inhabitants, to prepare the way by 
sacrifices for the introduction of the 
laws of Solon. He was supposed to 
have intercourse with the gods, and 
it was presumed that a peculiar sacred- 
ness would attend the religious serv- 
ices in which he officiated. On this 
account, also, as well as because he 
was a poet, the name prophet may have 
been given him. Eeuds and animosi- 
ties prevailed at Athens, which it was 
supposed such a man might allay, and 
thus prepare them for the reception 
of the laws of Solon. The Athenians 
wished to reward him with wealth and 
public honors ; but he refused to ac- 
cept of any remuneration, and only 
demanded a branch of the sacred olive- 
tree, and a decree of j>erpetual friend- 
ship between Athens and his native 
city. After his death, divine honors 
were paid to him by the Cretans. He 
wrote a poem on the Argonautic ex- 
pedition, and other poems, which are 
now entirely lost. The quotation 
here is supposed to be made from a 
treatise on oracles and responses, 
which is also lost, ff The Cretians are 
always liars. This character of the 
Cretans is abundantly sustained by 
the examples adduced by Wetstein. 
To be a, Cretan became synonymous 
with being a liar, in the same way as 
to be a Corinthian became synonymous 
with living a licentious life. Comp. 
Introd. to 1 Cor., § 1. Thus the scho- 
liast says, Trapoi/u'ia kcrTi to K/OtfTi'Jtii/ 
£7rJ tov \l/svSz<r%ai—to act the Cretan is 
a proverb for to lie. The particular 
reason why they had this character 
abroad, rather than other people, is 
unknown.* Bishop Warburton sup- 
poses that they acquired it hy claim- 
ing to have among them the tomb of 
Jupiter, and by maintaining that all 
the gods, like Jupiter, were only mor- 
tals who had been raised to divine 
honors. Thus the Greeks maintained 
that they always proclaimed a false- 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER I. 



261 



13 This witness is true. Where- 
fore rebuke them a sharply ; that 
they may be sound in the faith, 

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fa- 

ct 2 Tim. 4. 2. 

hood by asserting this opinion. But 
their reputation "for falsehood seems 
to have arisen from some deeper cause 
than this, and to have pertained to 
their general moral character. They 
were only more eminent in what was 
common among the ancient heathen, 
and what is almost universal among 
the heathen now. Comp. Notes on 
Eph. iv. 25. U Evil beasts. In their 
character, beasts or brutes of a fero- 
cious or malignant kind. This would 
imply that there was a great want of 
civilization, and that their want of re- 
finement was accompanied with what 
commonly exists in that condition — 
the unrestrained indulgence of wild 
and ferocious passions. See examples 
of the same manner of speaking of 
barbarous and malicious men in Wet- 
stein. H Slow bellies. Two vices seem 
here to be attributed to them, which 
indeed commonly go together — glut- 
tony and sloth. An industrious man 
will not be likely to be a gormandizer, 
and a gormandizer will not often be 
an industrious man. The mind of the 
poet, in this, seems to have conceived 
of them first as a race of gluttons — a 
people whose only concern was the 
stomach (in the word yaorTEpis, bellies) 
—a people devoted to the stomach, 
gluttons, gormandizers ; and then, as a 
consequence of this, lazy, dull, i?ido- 
lent, worthless, in the Word slow — apyai. 
Comp. Phil. hi. 19. On the connec- 
tion between gluttony and sloth, see 
the examples inWetstein. Seldom 
have more undesirable, and, in some 
respects, incongruous qualities, been 
grouped together in describing any 
people. They were false to a proverb, 
w T hich was, indeed, consistent enough 
with their being ferocious — though 
ferocious and wild nations are some- 
times faithful to their word; but they 
were at the same time ferocious and 
lazy, fierce and gluttonous— qualities 
which are not often found together. 
In some respects, therefore, they sur- 
passed the common depravity of hu- 
man nature, and blended in themselves 
ignoble properties which, among the 
worst people, are usually found exist- 
ing alone. To mingle apparently 
contradictory qualities of wickedness 



bles, b and commandments of men 
that turn from the truth. 

15 Unto c the pure all things are 
pure : but unto them that are de- 

6 1 Tim. 1.4. c Rom. 14. 14, 20. 

in the same individual or people is 
the height of depravity ; as to blend 
in the same mind apparently incon- 
sistent traits of virtuous character, or 
those which exist commonly, in their 
highest perfection, only alone, is the 
highest virtue. 

13. This witness is true. That is, this 
testimony, long before borne by one 
of their own number, was true when 
the apostle wrote to Titus. The fact 
that this was the general character of 
the people was a reason why he 
should be on his guard in introducing 
men into the ministry, and in the ar- 
rangement of affairs pertaining to the 
Church. That it was true, see proofs 
in Wetstein. % Wherefore rebuke them. 
See Notes on 2 Tim. iv. 2. H Sharply. 
airoTo/uioos — cuttingly, severely — f r o m 
a.TroTEp.vo3, to cut off. The word is used 
here in the sense of severity, meaning 
that the reproof should be such as 
would be understood, and would 
show them plainly the wickedness of 
such traits of character. He was not 
to be mealy-moitthed, but he was to 
call things by their right names, and 
not to spare their faults. When men 
know that they are doing wrong, we 
should tell them so in few words; if 
they do not know it, it is necessary 
to teach them, in order to convince 
them of their error. If That they may 
be sound in the faith. That they may 
not allow the prevailing vices to cor- 
rupt their views of religion. 

14. Not giving heed to Jewish fables, 
etc. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 4. \\And 
commandments of men that turn from 
the truth. See Notes on Matt. xv. 3-5. 

15. Unto the pure all things ^yq pare. 
See Notes on Rom. xiv. 14, 20. There 
is probably an allusion here to the dis- 
tinctions made in respect to meats and 
drinks among the J ews. Some articles 
of food were regarded as "clean," or 
allowed to be eaten, and some as "un- 
clean," or forbidden. Paul says that 
those distinctions ceased under the 
Christian dispensation, and that to 
those who had a conscience not easily 
troubled by nice and delicate ques- 
tions about ceremonial observances, 
all kinds of food might be regarded as 
lawful and proper. Comp. Notes on 



262 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



filed and unbelieving, is nothing 
pure; but even their mind and 
conscience is defiled. 



1 Tim. iv. 4, 5. If a man habitually 
maintains a good conscience in the 
sight of God, it will be accepted of 
him whether he do or do not abstain 
from certain kinds of food. See Notes 
on Col. ii. 16. This passage, therefore, 
should not be interpreted as proving 
that all things are right and lawful for 
a Christian, or that whatever he may 
choose to do will be regarded as pure, 
but as primarily referring to distinc- 
tions in food, and meaning that there 
is no sanctity in eating one kind of 
food, and no sin in another, but that 
the mind is equally pure whatever is 
eaten. The phrase has a proverbial 
cast, though I know not that it was so 
used. The principle of the declaration 
is, that apure mind — a truly pious mind 
—will not regard the distinctions of 
food and drink ; of festivals, rites, cer- 
emonies, and days, as necessary to be 
observed in order to promote its pur- 
ity. The conscience is not to be bur- 
dened and enslaved by these things, 
but is to be controlled only by the 
moral laws which God has ordained. 
But there may be a somewhat higher 
application of the words — that every 
ordinance of religion, eveiw command 
of God, every event that occurs in 
divine providence, tends to promote 
the holiness of one who is of pure 
heart. Such a one can see a sancti- 
fying tendency in every thing, and can 
derive from all that is commanded, 
and all that occurs, the means of mak- 
ing the heart more holy. While a de- 
praved mind will turn every such thing 
to a pernicious use, and make it the 
means of augmenting its malignity 
and corruption, to the pure mind it 
will be the means of increasing its 
confidence in God, and of making it- 
self more holy. To such a mind every 
thing may become a means of grace. 
^ But unto them that are defiled and un- 
believing is nothing pure. Every thing 
is made the means of increasing their 
depravity. No matter what ordinan- 
ces of religion they observe, what dis- 
tinctions of meats, or drinks, or days 
they regard, and wljat events of Prov- 
idence may occur, all are the occasion 
of augmented depravity. Such dis- 
tinctions in food they make the means 
of fostering their pride and ofproduc- 



16 They profess a that they know 
God ; but in works they deny Mm,, 
being abominable, and disobe- 

a 2 Tim. 3. 5,7. 

ing self-righteousness ; the mercies of 
God they abuse to pamper their lusts, 
and the afflictive events of divine 
Providence they make the occasion 
of murmuring and rebellion. Natur- 
ally corrupt at heart, no ordinances 
of religion and no events of Provi- 
dence make them any better, but all 
tend to deepen their depravity. A 
sentiment similar to this is found in 
the classic writers. Thus Seneca, Ejns. 
98: "Malus animus omnia in malum 
vertit, etiam qua? specie optimi vene- 
runt. " So again (Be Beneficiis, v. , 12) : 
"Quemadmodum stomachus morbo 
vitiatus et colliques bilem, quoscun- 
que acceperit cibos mutat— ita animus 
coecus quicquid illi commiseris, id 
onus suum et perniciem facit." T[ But 
even their mind and conscience is defiled. 
It is not a mere external defilement, 
a thing which they so much dread, but 
a much worse kind of pollution — that 
which extends to the soul and the 
conscience. Every thing which they 
do tends to corrupt the inner man 
more and more, and to make them 
really more polluted and abominable 
in the sight of God. The wicked, while 
they remain impenitent, are constant- 
ly becoming worse and worse. They 
make every thing the means of in- 
creasing their depravity, and even 
those things which seem to pertain 
only to outward observances are made 
the occasion of the deeper corruption 
of the heart. 

16. They profess that they know God. 
That is, the Jewish teachers particu- 
larly, who are referred to in ver. 14. 
All those persons were professors of 
religion, and claimed that they had a 
peculiar knowledge of God. f But in 
works they deny him. Their conduct 
is such as to show that they have no 
real acquaintance with^him. *f[ Being 
abominable. *In their conduct. The 
word here used — pdsXvKTol — occurs 
nowhere else in the New Testament. 
It means that which is detestable, or 
to be held in abhorrence. H And dis- 
obedient, an d unto every good work repro- 
bate. M&vg.,void of judgment. On the 
word here used — clSokl/uo^ — see Notes 
on Rom i. 28; 2 Cor. xiii. 5. It means 
here that in reference to every thing 
that is good their conduct was such 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER II. 



263 



client, and unto every good work 1 
- reprobate. 

CHAPTER II. 

BUT speak thou the things which 
become sound doctrine : 

1 or, void of judgment. a Prov. 16. 31 . 



that could not be approved, or that 
deserved disapprobation. It was for 
this reason — from the character of the 
people of the island of Crete, and 
of those who claimed to be teachers 
there enforcing the obligation of the 
Mosaic law — that it was so important 
for Titus to exercise special care in 
introducing men into the ministry, 
and in completing the arrangements 
contemplated in the organization of 
the churches there. Yet is this char- 
acter confined to them? Are there 
none now who profess that they know 
God,, but in works deny him ; whose 
conduct is such that it ought to be 
abhorred; who are disobedient to the 
plain commands of God, and whose 
character in respect to all that per- 
tains to true religion is to be disap- 
proved by men, and will be by God at 
the last day ? Alas, taking the Church 
at large, there are many such, and the 
fact that there are such persons is the 
grand hinderance to the triumphs of 
religion on the earth. "The way to 
heaven is blocked up by dead professors 
of religion.'''' 

CHAPTER II. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

In the previous chapter, the apostle 
had directed Titus what to do in the 
organization of churches in the vari- 
ous cities of Crete, and had put him 
on his guard in doing it, by showing 
the character of the people he had to 
deal with. . In this chapter he gives 
him various instructions as to his own 
method of teaching, showing what 
kind of doctrines he should inculcate, 
and what kind of instructions he 
should give to the various classes of 
his hearers. He was, in general, to 
speak only such things as became 
sound doctrine. Ver. 1. In particu- 
lar, he was to instruct the aged men 
to be sober, grave, and temperate- 
acting in a manner that became their 
time of life, ver. 2 ; the aged women 
to be a proper example to the younger 
females, and to exercise a proper care 
over them, ver. 3-5; the young men 
to be sober-minded, ver. 6; Titus him- 



2 That the aged a men be 2 sober, 
grave, temperate, sound in faith, in 
charity, in patience. 

3 The aged women likewise, that 
they be in behaviour as becometh 3 

2 or, vigilant. 3 or, hohj women. 



self, who evidently came under the 
class of young men, was to be an ex- 
ample to them in all things, vs. 7, 8 ; 
and servants were to be instructed to 
perform their duty to their masters 
with fidelity, vs. 9, 10. The duty of 
giving these instructions is then en- 
forced by a reference to the nature 
and design of the Gospel. Ver. 11-15. 
That grace which brings salvation has 
appeared to all mankind, and its de- 
sign is to make all holy who embrace 
it, and to teach all to live for a higher 
and a better world. 

1. Bat speak thou. In thine own 
ministry. In the previous chapter 
Paul had given Titus instructions as 
to the kind of persons who were to 
be put into the sacred office. Here 
he gives him special instructions in 
regard to his own preaching. H The 
things which become sound doctrine. To 
wit, those which he proceeds immedi- 
ately to specify. On the phrase sound 
doctrine, see Notes on 1 Tim. i. 10. 
Comp. 2 Tim. iv. 3. 

2. That the aged men. All aged men 
— for there is no reason to suppose 
that the apostle refers particularly to 
those who were in office, or who were 
technically elders or presbyters. If he 
had, he would have used the com- 
mon word, 7rpET(SvTEpo<s, presbyter (see 
Matt. xv. 2 ; xvi. 21 ; xxi. 23 ; xxvi. 3, 
47, 57, 59 ; 1 Tim. v. 1, 17, 19 ; Titus i. 
5 ; James v. 14 ; 1 Pet. v. 1), instead 
of the unusual word, TrptrrfivTn<!, an 
old or aged man — a word which oc- 
curs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment except in Luke i. 18, " For I am 
an old man;' 1 '' and Philem. 9, "being 
such a one as Paul tfie aged." It is 
in no instance applied to an office. Be- 
sides, the instructions which Titus 
was to give to such men was not that 
which peculiarly pertained to elders as 
officers in the Church, but to all aged 
men. , The idea is, that he was to adapt 
his instructions to the peculiar char- 
acter of different classes of his hear- 
ers. The old needed special instruc- 
tions, and so did the young. ^Be sober. 
Marg. , vigilant. Seethe word explained 



264 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



holiness, not 1 false accusers, not 
given to much wine, teachers of 
good things; 
4 That they may teach the a young 

1 or, makebates. a 1 Tim. 5. 14. 

in the Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 2, where it 
is rendered vigilant. In 1 Tim. iii. 11, 
the same word is rendered sober. 
Tf Grave. Serious. See Notes on 1 
Tim. iii. 8. Comp. Notes on Phil. iv. 
8, where the same word is rendered 
ho7iest. ^Temperate, o-uxppovas. Rath- 
er, prudent or sober-minded. See the 
word explained in the Notes on 1 Tim. 
iii. 2, where it is rendered sober. Also, 
Titus i. 8. Sound in faith. See Notes 
on 1 Tim. i. 10 ; Titus i. 13. If In char- 
ity.- In love. See Notes on 1 Cor. xiii. 
The meaning is, that an old man should 
evince love for all, especially for those 
who are good. He should have over- 
come, at his time of life, all the fiery, 
impetuous, envious, wrathful passions 
of his early years, and his mind should 
he subdued into sweet benevolence to 
all mankind, If In patience. In the 
infirmities of old age; in the trials re- 
sulting from the loss of the friends of 
their early years ; in their loneliness 
in the world, they should show that 
the effect of all God's dealings with 
them has been to produce patience. 
The aged should submit to the trials 
of their advanced years, also, with res- 
ignation — for those trials will soon be 
over. A few more sighs, and they will 
sigh no more ; a little longer bearing 
up under their infirmities, and they 
will renew their youth before the 
throne of God. 

3. The aged women likewise. Not only 
those who may have the office of dea- 
conesses, but all aged females. If That 
they be in behavior as becometh holiness. 
Marg., holy women. The Greek word 
is not found elsewhere in the New 
Testament. It means appropriate to a 
certain place or person, or becoming to re- 
ligion. Their conduct should be such 
as the Gospel requires. If Not false 
accusers. Marg., makebates. Gr., ota- 
(36\ov<s — the word commonly applied 
to the devil — as the accuser. See it ex- 
plained in the Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 11, 
where it is rendered slanderers. Tf Not 
given to much wine. See Notes onlTim. 
iii. 3. If Teachers of good things. That 
is, instructing the younger — whether 
their own children, or whether they 
sustain the office of deaconness, and 
are appointed to give instruction to 



women to be 2 sober, to love their 
husbands, to love their children, 

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers 
at home, good, obedient to their 

2 or, wise. 

younger females. Comp. Notes on 1 
Tim. v. 2-6. 

4. That they may teach the young 
women to be sober. Marg. , wise — a word 
similar to that which in ver. 2 is ren- 
dered temperate, and in 1 Tim. iii. 2, so- 
ber. The meaning is, that they should 
instruct them to have their desires 
and passions well regulated, or under 
proper control. If To love their hus- 
bands. cpiXavdpovs. This word oc- 
curs nowhere else in the New Testa- 
ment. In Eph. v. 25, Paul directs hus- 
bands to love their wives, and in ver. 
33, the wife to reverence her husband, 
and here he says that it should be one 
of the first duties enjoined on the wife 
that she should love her husband. All 
happiness in the marriage relation is 
based on love. When that departs, 
peace departs. No wealth or splen- 
dor in a dwelling, no gorgeousness 
of equipage or apparel, no magnifi- 
cence of entertainment or sweetness 
of music, no forms of courtesy and 
politeness can be a compensation for 
the want of affection. Mutual love 
between a husband and wife will dif- 
fuse comfort through the obscurest 
cottage of poverty ; the want of it can 
not be supplied by all that can be fur- 
nished in the palaces of the great. 
T[ To love their children. Nature 
prompts to this, and yet there are 
those so depraved that they have no 
maternal affection. See Notes on 
Rom. i. 31. Religion reproduces nat- 
ural affection when sin has weakened 
or destroyed it, and it is the design 
of Christianity to recover and invig- 
orate all the lost or weakened sensi- 
bilities of our nature. 

5. To be discreet. The same word 
which is rendered temperate in ver. 2, 
and explained in ver. 4. ^f Chaste. 
Pure — in heart and in life. ^Keepers 
at home. That is, characteristically at- 
tentive to their domestic concerns, or 
to their duties in their families. A 
similar injunction is found in the pre- 
cepts of the Pythagoreans — tclv yap 
yvvaiKa SeZ oiKovplv /cat ii/Sov (xivzv. 
See Creuzer's Symbolik, iii., 120. This 
does not mean, of course, that they 
are never to go abroad, but they are 
not to neglect their domestic affairs ; 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER II. 



265 



own husbands, that the word of 
God be not blasphemed. 

6 Young men likewise exhort to 
be sober 1 minded : 

fc 1 or, discreet. 

that they are not to be better known 
abroad than at home; that they are 
not to omit their own duties and be- 
come "busybodies" in the concerns 
of others. Religion is the patron of 
the domestic virtues, and regards the 
appropriate duties in a family as those 
most intimately connected with its 
own progress in the world. It looks 
benignly on all which makes home a 
place of contentment, intelligence, 
and peace. It does not flourish when 
domestic duties are neglected ; and 
whatever may be done abroad, what- 
ever self-denial and zeal in the cause of 
religion may be evinced there, what- 
ever call there may be for the labors 
of Christians there, or however much 
good may be actually done abroad, 
religion has gained nothing, on the 
whole, if, in order to secure these 
things, the duties of a wife and moth- 
er at home have been disregarded. 
Our first duty is at home, and all other 
duties will be well performed, just in 
proportion as that is. *f[ Good. In 
all respects, and in all relations. To 
a wife, a mother, a sister, there can be 
no higher characteristic ascribed than 
to say that she is good. What other 
trait of mind will enable her better to 
perform her appropriate duties of life ? 
What other will make her more like 
her Saviour? If Obedient to their own 
liusbands. See Notes on Eph. v. 22 
-24; Col. iii. 18. 1" That the Word of 
God be not blasphemed. That the Gos- 
pel may not be injuriously spoken of 
(see Notes on Matt. ix. 3) on account 
of the inconsistent lives of those who 
profess to be influenced by it. The 
idea is, that religion ought to produce 
the virtues here spoken of, and that 
when it does not, it will be reproached 
as being of no value. 

6. Young men likewise exhort to be so- 
ber-minded. Marg., discreet. On the 
meaning of the Greek word used here 
(auxppovElv), see Notes on vs. 2 and 4. 
The idea is, that they should be en- 
treated to be prudent, discreet, seri- 
ous in their deportment; to get the 
mastery over their passions and ap- 
petites ; to control the propensities to 
which youth are subject; that there 
should be such self-government, un- 
M 



7 In all things shewing thyself a 
a pattern of good works : in doc- 
trine sheicing uncorruptness, gravi- 
ty, sincerity, 

a 1 Tim. 4.12. 

der the influence of veligion, as to 
avoid excess in every thing. A well- 
governed mind, superior to the indul- 
gence of those passions to which the 
young are prone, will express the 
meaning of the word here. They 
should be "steady in their behavior, 
superior to sensual temptations, and 
constant in the exercise of every part 
of self-government. "—Doddridge. The 
reasons for this are obvious: (1.) The 
hopes of the Church depend much on 
them. (2.) A young man who can 
not govern himself gives little prom- 
ise of being useful or happy. (3.) In- 
dulgence in the propensities to which 
young men are prone will, sooner or 
later, bring ruin to the body and the 
soul. (4.) They are just at the period 
of life when they arc exposed to pe- 
culiar temptations, and when they 
need to exercise a peculiar guardian- 
ship over their conduct. (5.) Like 
others, they may soon die; and they 
should be habitually in such a frame 
of mind as to be prepared to stand be- 
fore God. A young man w ho feels that 
he may he soon in the eternal world 
can not but be sensible of the propriety 
of having a serious mind, and of living 
and acting as in the immediate pres- 
ence of his Maker and Judge. 

7. In all things showing thyself a pat- 
tern of good works. Not merety teach- 
ing others, but showing them by ex- 
ample how they ought to live. On 
the word 'rendered pattern (tvttov, 
type), see Notes on Heb. ix. 5. Comp. 
1 Cor. x. 6; Phil. iii. 17. If In doctrine. 
In your manner of teaching. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 16. t Showing 
uncorruptness. The word here used 
does not occur elsewhere in the New 
Testament. It means, here, the same 
as purity — that # which is not errone- 
ous, and which* does not tend to cor- 
rupt or vitiate the morals of others, 
or to endanger their salvation. Ev- 
ery thing in his teaching was to be 
such as to make men purer and bet- 
ter. Gravity. See this word ex- 
plained in the Notes on 1 Tim. ii. 2, 
where it is rendered honesty. Comp. 
Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 4, where it is ren- 
dered gravity. It does not elsewhere 
occur. ^See the use of the adjective, 



266 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



8 Sound a speech, that can not be 
condemned ; that he that is of the 
contrary part may be ashamed, 
having no evil thing to say of you. 

9 Exhort servants 6 to be obedient 

a 1 Tim. 6. 3. % b Eph. 6. 5, etc. 

however, in Phil. iv. 8; ITim. iii. 8, 11. 
Titus ii. 2. The word properly means 
venerableness ; then, whatever will in- 
sure respect, in character, opinions, 
deportment. The sense here is, that 
the manner in which a preacher de- 
livers his message should be such as 
to command respect. He should evince 
good sense, undoubted piety, an ac- 
quaintance with his subject, simplici- 
ty, seriousness, and earnestness in his 
manner. \ Sincerity. See this word 
(a<pSap<TLa) explained in the Notes on 
Eph. vi. 24. It is rendered immortali- 
ty in Rom. ii. 7; 2 Tim. i. 10; incor- 
ntption in 1 Cor. xv. 42, 50, 53, 54 ; and 
sincerity, Eph. vi. 24, and in the place 
before us. It does not elsewhere oc- 
cur in the New Testament. It means 
incorruption, incapacity of decay ; and, 
therefore, w r ould be here synonymous 
with purity. It should be said, how- 
ever, that it is wanting in many MSS., 
and is rejected in the later editions 
of the New Testament by Wets tern, 
Tittman, and Hahn. 

8. Sound speech. See Notes on 1 
Tim. i. 10. He was to use language 
that would be spiritually healthful 
(vyuj) ; that is, true, pure, uncorrupt- 
ed. This word, and its correlatives, 
is used in this sense, in the New Tes- 
tament, only by the apostle Paul. It 
is commonly applied to the body, 
meaning that which is healthful, or 
whole. See Luke v. 31 ; vi. 10 f vii. 10 ; 
xv. 27; Matt.xii.13; xv.31; Mark iii. 
5 ; v. 34 ; John v. 4, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15 ; vii. 
23 ; Acts iv. 10 ; 3 John, 2. For PauVs 
use of the word, see 1 Tim. i. 10; vi. 
3 ; 2 Tim. i. 13 ; iv. 3 ; Tit. i. 9, 13 ; ii. 
1, 2, 8. It does not elsewhere occur. 
H That can not be condemned. Such as 
can not be shown to t>e weak or un- 
sound ; such that no one could find 
fault with it, or such as an adversary 
could not take hold of and blame. 
This direction would imply purity 
and seriousness of language, solidity 
of argument, and truth in the doc- 
trines which he maintained. *|f That 
he that is of the contrary part may be 
ashamed, etc. Ashamed that he has 
opposed such views. 



unto their own masters, and to 
please them well in all things ; not 
1 answering again ; 

10 Not purloining, but shewing 
all good fidelity ; that c they may 

1 or, gainsaying, c Matt. 5.16. 

9. Exhort servants to be obedient to 
their own masters. See this explained 
in the Notes on Eph. vi. 5, seq., and 
1 Tim. vi. 1-4. H And to please them 
tbell in all things. That is, so far as 
they lawfully may, or in those things 
which are not contrary to the will of 
God. Comp. Eph. vi. 6. It should 
be an object with one who is a serv- 
ant to meet the approbation of his 
master, as long as this relation con- 
tinues. This rule would not, how- 
ever, go to the extent to require him 
to please his master in doing any 
thing that is contrary to the law of 
God, or that is morally wrong. T[ Not 
answering again. Marg., gainsaying. 
Not contradicting, or not disobeying. 
They were to do what the master re- 
quired, if it did not interfere with the 
rights of conscience, without attempt- 
ing to argue the matter — without dis- 
puting with the master— without ad- 
vancing their own opinions. Where 
this relation exists, no one can doubt 
that this is a proper frame of mind 
for a servant. It may be observed, 
however, that all that is here said 
would be equally appropriate, wheth- 
er the servitude was voluntary or in- 
voluntary. A man who becomes vol- 
untarily a servant, binds himself to 
obey his master cheerfully and quiet- 
ly, without gainsaying, and without 
attempting to reason the matter with 
him, or propounding his own opin- 
ions, even though they may be much 
wiser than those of his employer. He 
makes a contract to obey his master, 
not to reason with him, or to instruct 
him. Comp. Rom. vi. 16. 

10. Not purloining. Not to appro- 
priate to themselves what belongs to 
their masters. The word purloin 
means, literally, to take or carry away 
for one's self; and would be applied 
to an appropriation to one's self of 
what pertained to a common stock, 
or what belonged to one in whose em- 
ploy we are— as the embezzlement of 
public funds. Here it means that the 
servant was not to apply that to his 
own use which belonged to his mas- 
ter; that is, he was not to pilfer — a 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER II. 



267 



adorn the doctrine of God our 
Saviour in all things. 
11 For the grace « f God that 



bringeth salvation 1 hath appeared 
to all men, 
12 Teaching us that, denying h 

1 or, to all men hath appeared. b Rom. 8. 13. 



vice to which, as all know, servants, 
and especially slaves, are particularly 
exposed. See the word explained in 
the Notes on Acts v. 2. ^ But show- 
ing all good fidelity. In laboring, and 
in taking care of the property intrust- 
ed to them. H That they may adorn 
the doctrine of God our Saviour in all 
things. That they may show the fair 
influence of religion on them, in all 
respects, making them industrious, 
honest, kind, and obedient. They 
were to show that the effect of the 
religion which they professed was to 
make them better fitted to discharge 
the duties of their station in life, how- j 
ever humble ; or that its influence on 
them was desirable in every respect. 
In this way, they might hope also j 
t hat the minds of their masters might 
be reached, and that they might be 
brought to respect and love the Gos- 
pel. Learn, hence, (1.) that one in 
the most humble walk of life may so 
live as to be an ornament to religion, 
as well as one favored with more ad- 
vantages. (2.) That servants may do 
much good, by so living as to show 
to all around them that there is a re- 
ality in the Gospel, and to lead others 
to love it. (3.) If, in this situation of 
life, it is a duty so to live as to adorn 
religion, it can not be less so in more 
elevated situations. A master should 
feel the obligation not to be surpassed 
in religious character by his servant. 

11. For the grace of God. The favor 
of God, shown to the undeserving. 
See Noxes on Rom. i. 7. Tf That bring- 
eth salvation. Marg., to all men hath 
appeared. That is, in the margin, 
" the grace which brings salvation to 
all men has been revealed." The 
marginal reading is most in accord- 
ance with the Greek, though it will 
bear either construction. If that 
which is in the text be adopted, it 
means that the plan of salvation has 
been revealed to all classes of men ; 
that is, that it is announced or reveal- 
ed to all the race that they may be 
saved. Comp. Notes on Col. i. 23. If j 
the other rendering be adopted, it j 
means that that plan is fitted to se- j 
cure the salvation of all men; that 
none are excluded from the offer; j 
that provision has been made for all, j 



and that all may come and be saved. 
Whichever interpretation be adopted, 
the sense will not be essentially va- 
ried. It is, that the Gospel is adapt- 
ed to man as man, and therefore may 
include servants as well as masters ; 
subjects, as well as kings ; the poor, 
as well as the rich ; the ignorant, as 
well as the learned. See Notes on 1 
Tim. ii. 1,2; Acts xvii. 26. 

12. Teaching us. That is, " the grace 
of God" so teaches us; or that sys- 
tem of religion which is a manifes- 
tation of the grace of God so teaches 
us, by inculcating the great and im- 
portant duties which Paul proceeds 
to state. T| That, denying ungodliness 
and worldly lusts. " That by denying 
ourselves of these, or refusing to prac- 
tice them, we should lead a holy life." 
The word ungodliness here means all 
that would be included under the 
word impiety ; that is, all failure in 
the performance of our proper duties 
toward God. See Notes on Rom. i. 
18. The phrase "worldly lusts" re- 
fers to all improper desires pertain- 
ing to this life — the desire of wealth, 
pleasure, honor, sensual indulgence. 
It refers to such passions as the men 
of this world are prone to, and would 
include all those things which can not 
be indulged in with a proper reference 
to the world to come. The gross pas- 
sions would be of course included, 
and all those more refined pleasures 
also which constitute the characteris- 
tic and peculiar enjoyments of those 
who do not live unto God. ^ We 
should live soberly. See the word so- 
berly (<ro<pp6vu)<s) explained in the 
Notes on vs. 2, 4. It means that we 
should exercise a due restraint on our 
passions and propensities. ^Right- 
eously. Justly — ciKaico<s. This refers 
to the proper performance of our du- 
ties to our fellow-men; and it means 
that religion teaches us to perform 
those duties with fidelity, according 
to our relations in life ; to our prom- 
ises and contracts ; to our fellow-cit- 
izens and neighbors ; to the poor, the 
needy, the ignorant, and the oppress- 
ed ; to all those who are providential- 
ly placed in our way who need our 
kind offices. Justice to them would 
lead us to act as we would wish that 



268 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



ungodliness and worldly lusts, a 
we b should live soberly, right- 
eously, and godly, in this present 
world ; 

a 1 Pet. 2. 11. b Luke 1.75. 

they would act toward us. *J[ And god- 
ly. Piously; that is, in the faithful 
performance of our duties to God. 
We have here, then, an epitome of all 
that religion requires : (1. ) Our duty to 
ourselves — included in the word "so- 
berly," and requiring a suitable con- 
trol over -our evil propensities and 
passions ; (2.) our duty to our fellow- 
men in the relations we sustain in life ; 
and (3.) our duty to God— evinced in 
what will be properly regarded as a 
pious life. He that does these things, 
meets all the responsibilities of his 
condition and relations; and the 
Christian system, requiring the faith- 
ful performance of these duties, shows 
how admirably it is adapted to man. 
^ In this present world. That is, as 
long as we shall continue in it. These 
are the duties which we owe in the 
present life. 

13. Looking for. Expecting; waiting 
for. That is, in the faithful perform- 
ance of our duties to ourselves, to our 
fellow-creatures, and to our God, we 
are patiently to wait for the coming 
of our Lord. (1.) We are to believe 
that he will return ; (2.) we are to be 
in a posture of expectation, not know- 
ing when he will come; and (3.) we are 
to be ready for him whenever he shall 
come. See Notes on Matt. xxiv. 42- 
44 ; 1 Thess. v. 4 ; Phil. iii. 20. H That 
blessed hope. The fulfillment of that 
hope so full of blessedness to us. 
If The glorious appearing. See Notes 
on 2 Thess. ii. 8. Comp. 1 Tim. vi. 14 ; 
2 Tim. i. 10 ; iv. 1, 8. f Of the great God. 
There can be little doubt, if any, that 
by " the great God" here, the apostle 
referred to the Lord Jesus, for it is 
not a doctrine of the New Testament 
that God himself as such, or in con- 
tradistinction from his incarnate Son, 
will appear at the last day. It is said, 
indeed, that the Saviour will come "in 
the glory of his Father, with his an- 
gels" (Matt. xvi. 27), but that God as 
such will appear is not taught in the 
Bible. The doctrine there is, that God 
will be manifest in his Son ; that the 
divine approach to oar world will be 
through him to judge the race; and 
that though he will be accompanied 
with the appropriate symbols of the 



13 Looking c for that blessed 
hope, and the glorious appearing 
d of the great God and our Sav- 
iour Jesus Christ ; 

c 2 Pet. 3. 12. d Rev. 1.7. 

divinity, yet it will be the Son of God 
who will be visible. No one, accus- 
tomed to Paul's views, can well doubt 
that when he used this language he 
had his eye throughout on the Son of 
God, and that he expected no other 
manifestation than what would be 
made through him. In no place in 
the New Testament is the phrase kiri- 
tyavEiav too Srzou — u the manifestation 
or appearing of God"— applied to any 
other one than Christ. It is true that 
this is spoken of here as the "appear- 
ing of the glory — t?/s d6£rjs — of the 
great God," but the idea is that of 
such a manifestation as became God, 
or would appropriately display his 
glory. It is known to most persons 
who have attended to religious con- 
troversies, that this passage has given 
rise to much discussion. The ancients, 
in general, interpreted it as meaning, 
" The glorious appearing of our great 
God and Saviour Jesus Christ." This 
sense has been vindicated by the la- 
bors of Beza, Whitby, Bull, Mattha?i, 
and Middleton (on the Greek article), 
and is the common interpretation of 
those who claim to be orthodox. See 
Bloomfield, Hec. iSyn.,&n& Notes, in loc. 
He contends that the meaning is, " the 
glorious appearance of that Great 
Being who is our God and Saviour." 
The arguments for this opinion are 
well summed up by Bloomfield. With- 
out going into a critical examination 
of this passage, which would not be 
in accordance with the design of these 
Notes, it may be remarked in general, 
(1.) that no plain reader of the New 
Testament, accustomed to the com- 
mon language there, would have any 
doubt that the apostle referred here 
to the coming of the Lord Jesus. 
(2.) That the "coming" of God, as 
such, is not spoken of in this manner 
in the New Testament. (3.) That the 
expectation of Christians was directed 
to the advent of the ascended Saviour, 
not to the appearing of God as such. 
(4.) That this is just such language as 
one would use who believes that the 
Lord Jesus is divine, or that the name 
God may properly be applied to him. 
(5.) That it would naturally and obvi- 
ously convey the idea that he was 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER III. 



269 



14 Who gave a himself for us, that 
he might redeem us from all 6 in- 
iquity, and purify c unto himself a 

oEph.5. 2. 6 Psa. 130.8. cHeb.9.14. 

divine to one who had no theory to 
defend. (6.) That if the apostle did 
not mean this, he used such language 
as was fitted to lead men into error. 
And (7.) that the fair construction of 
the Greek here, according to the ap- 
plication of the most rigid rules, abun- 
dantly sustains the interpretation 
which the plain reader of the New Tes- 
tament would afiix to it. The names 
above referred to are abundant proof 
that no violation is done to the rules 
of the Greek language by this interpre- 
tation, but rather that the fai r construc- 
tion of the original demands it. If this 
be so, then this furnishes'an important 
proof of the divinity of Christ. 

14. Who gave himself for us. See 
Notes on Eph. v. 2. *{[ That he might 
redeem us from all iniquity. The word 
here rendered redeem — Xv-rpou), lutrod — 
occurs only here and in Luke xxiv. 21; 
1 Pet. i. 18. The noun, however — Xu- 
n-pov,lutron — occurs in Matt. xx. 28, 
and Mark x. 45, where it is rendered 
ransom. See it explained in the Notes 
on Matt. xx. 28. It is here said that 
th,e object of his giving himself was to 
save his people from all iniquity. See 
this explained in the Notes on Matt, 
i. 21. ^ And purify unto himself (1.) 
Purify them, or make them holy. This 
is the first and leading object. See 
Notes on Heb. ix. 14. (2.) Unto him- 
self; that is, they are no longer to be 
regarded as their own, but as redeem- 
ed for his own service, and for the 
promotion of his glory. See Notes 
on 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. A peculiar peo- 
ple. 1 Pet. ii. 9. The word here used 
(7T£piovcrio<3) occurs nowhere else in 
the New Testament. It means, prop- 
erly, having abundance; and then one's 
own, what is special or peculiar (Rob., 
Lex. ), and it here means that they were 
to be regarded as belonging to the 
Lord Jesus. It does not mean, as the 
word would seem to imply — and as is 
undoubtedly true — that they are to be 
a peculiar people in the sense that they 
are to be unlike others, or to have views 
and principles peculiar to themselves ; 
but that they belong to the Saviour 
in contradistinction from belonging 
to themselves — "peculiar," or his 
own, in the sense that a man's prop- 
erty is his own, and does not belong 



peculiar d people, zealous e of good 
works. 

15 These things speak, and ex- 

d Deut. 7. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. e Eph. 2. 10. 

to others. This passage, therefore, 
should not be used to prove that 
Christians should be unlike others in 
their manner of living, but that they 
belong to Christ as his redeemed peo- 
ple. From that it may indeed be in- 
ferred that they should be unlike 
others, but that is not the direct 
teaching of the passage. U Zealous of 
good ivorks. As the result of their re- 
demption; that is, this is one object 
of their having been redeemed. See 
Notes on Eph. ii. 10. 

15. These things speak and exhort. 
See Notes on 1 Tim. vi. 2. H And re- 
buke with all authority. See Notes on 
1 Tim. v. 1, 20; 2 Tim. iv. 2. The word 
authority here means command — iiri- 
Tayi'i. 1 Cor. vii. 6, 25; 2 Cor. viii. 8; 
1 Tim. i. 1; Tit. i. 3. The sense here 
is that he was to do it decidedly, with- 
out ambiguity, without compromise, 
and without keeping any thing back. 
He was to state these things not as 
being advice or counsel, but as the re- 
quirement of God. Let no man de- 
spise thee. That is, conduct yourself, 
as you may easily do, so as to com- 
mand universal respect as a minister 
of God. See Notes on 1 Tim. iv. 12. 

CHAPTER III. 

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER. 

This chapter comprises the follow- 
ing subjects : 

(1.) Titus was to instruct his hear- 
ers to be subject to lawful authority, 
and in general to manifest meekness 
and gentleness toward all classes of 
men. Ys. 1, 2. 

(2.) A reason is assigned why they 
should do this. Ver. 3-8. They who 
were Christians were once, indeed, like 
others, disobedient and unholy; they 
were regardless of law, and gave free 
indulgence to their evil propensities., 
but they had been redeemed for a bet- 
ter purpose, and it was the design of 
God in redeeming them that they 
should manifest every kind of virtue. 

(3.) Titus was to avoid foolish ques- 
tions, and contentions, and strifes 
about the law. Ver. 9. 

(4.) He who was a heretic was to be 
rejected after suitable admonitions. 
Vs. 10, 11. 

(5.) Paul directs Titus to come to 



270 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



hort ; and rebuke with all author- 
ity. Let a no man despise thee. 
CHAPTER III. 

PUT them in mind to be subject 
b to principalities and powers, 
to obey magistrates, to be ready 
to every good work. 

a 1 Tim. 4. 12. b Rom. 13. 1. 

him at Nicopolis, and to bring Zenas 
and Apollos with him. Ver. 12-14. 

(6.) He closes with the customary 
salutations. Ver. 15. 

1. Pat them in mind to be subject, etc. 
See the duty here enjoined explained 
in the Notes on Romans xiii. 1, seq. 

Principalities and powers. See these 
words explained in the Notes on Rom. 
viii. 38. The word here rendered pow- 
ers (&^ovariaL<s) is not, indeed, the same 
as that which is found there (Swa/mus), 
but the same idea is conveyed. Comp. 
Notes on Eph. i. 21. H To obey magis- 
trates. That is, to obey them in all 
that is not contrary to the Word of 
God. See Notes on Rom. xiii. 1, seq. ; 
Acts iv. 19, 20. \ To be ready to every 
good work. To be prepared for (eto'l- 
/xous); prompt to perform all that is 

good. See Notes on Phil. iv. 8. A 
hristian should be always ready to 
do good as far as he is able. He 
should not need to be urged, or coax- 
ed, or persuladed, but should be so 
ready always to do good that he will 
count it a privilege to have the op- 
portunity to do it. 

2. To speak evil of no man. Gr., a to 
blaspheme (fi\a<T<pr\fjLEiv,(iomTp. Notes on 
Matt. ix. 3) no one," Doddridge ren- 
ders it, " calumniate no one." The 
idea is, that we are not to slander, 
revile, or defame any one. We are 
not to say any thing to any one, or of 
any one, which will do him injury. 
We are never to utter any thing 
which we know to be false about him, 
or to give such a coloring to his 
words or conduct as to do him w T rong. 
We should always so speak to him 
and of him in such a way that he will 
have no reason to complain that he 
is an injured man. It may be neces- 
sary, when we are called to state what 
we know of his character, to say things 
which are not at all in his favor, or. 
things which he has said or done 
that were wrong; but (l.)we should 
never do this for the purpose of doing 
him an injury! or so as to find a pleas- 



2 To speak evil of no man, to be 
no brawlers, tut gentle, showing 
all c meekness unto all men. 

3 For we d ourselves also were 
sometimes foolish, disobedient, de- 
ceived, serving divers lusts and 
pleasures, living in malice and 

c Eph. 4. 2. dl Cor. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 

ure in it; and (2.) where it is necessa- 
ry to make the statement, it should 
be so as to do him no injustice. We 
should give no improper coloring. 
We should exaggerate no circum- 
stance. We should never attempt to 
express ourselves about his motives, 
or charge on him bad motives — for 
we know not what his motives were. 
We should state every palliating cir- 
cumstance of which we have knowl- 
edge, and do entire justice to it. We 
should not make the bad traits of his 
character prominent, and pass over 
ail that is good. In a word, we should 
show that we would rather find him to 
be a good man than a bad man — even if 
the result should be that we had been mis- 
taken in our opinions. It is better that 
we should have been mistaken than 
that he should be a bad man. To be 
no brawlers. See Notes on 1 Tim. iii. 3. 
The same Greek word occurs in both 
places. It is not elsewhere found in 
the New Testament. IfBut gentle. The 
word here used is rendered moderation 
in Phil. iv. 5, patient in 1 Tim. iii. 3, and 
elsewhere gentle. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
iii. 3. H Showing all meekness unto all 
men. In the reception of injuries. 
See Notes on Matt. v. 5 ; Eph. iv. 2. 

3. For we ourselves. We who are 
Christians. There is no reason for 
supposing, as Benson does, that this is 
to be understood as confined to Paul. 
There are some things mentioned 
here which were not probably true of 
him before his conversion, and the 
connection does not require us to 
suppose that he referred particularly 
to himself. He is stating a reason 
why those to whom Titus was to 
preach should be urged to lead holy 
lives, and especially to manifest a 
spirit of order, peace, kindness, and 
due subordination to law. In en- 
forcing this, he says that those who 
were now Christians had formerly 
been wicked, disorderly, and sensual, 
but that under the influence of the 
Gospel they had been induced to lead 
better lives. The same Gospel which 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER III. 



271 



envy, hateful, and hating one an- 
other. 

4 But after that the kindness and 

1 or, pity, 

had been effectual in their case might 
be in others. To others it would be 
an encouragement to show that there 
were instances in which the Gospel 
had been thus efficacious, and they 
who were appointed to preach it 
might refer to their own example as 
a reason wiiy others should be per- 
suaded to lead holy lives. In preach- 
ing to others, also, they were not to 
be proud or arrogant. They were to 
remember that they were formerly in 
the same condition with those whom 
they addressed, and whom they ex- 
horted to reformation. They were 
not to forget that what they had that 
was superior to others they owed to 
the grace of God, and not to any na- 
tive goodness. He will exhort the 
wicked to repentance most effectually 
who remembers that his own former 
life was wicked; he will evince most 
of the proper spirit in doing it who 
has the deepest sense of the error and 
folly of his own past ways. 5[ Foolish. 
See this word explained in the Notes 
on Luke xxiv. 25, where it is rendered 
fools. Comp. Rom. i. 14, where it is 
rendered unwise; -and Gal. iii. 1/3 ; 1 
Tim. vi. 9, where it is rendered foolish. 
*[f Disobedient. To law, to parents, to 
civil authority, to God. This is the 
natural character of the human heart. 
See Luke i. 17; Rom. i. 30; 2 Tim. iii. 
2; Tit. i. 16, where the same word oc- 
curs. % Deceived. By the great enemy, 
by false teachers, by our own hearts, 
and by the flattery of others. It is a 
characteristic of man by nature that 
he sees nothing in its true light, but 
walks along amid constant though 
changing and very beautiful illusions. 
Comp. Matt. xxiv. 4, 5, 11; 2 Tim. iii. 
13; 1 Pet. ii. 25; Rev. xii. 9; xviii. 23, 
where the same word occurs. See 
also Rev. xx. 3, 8, 10, where the same 
w r ord is applied to that great deceiver 
who has led the world astray. Every 
one who is converted feels, and is 
ready to confess, that before conver- 
sion he was deceived as to the com- 
parative value of things; as to the 
enjoyment which he expected to find 
in scenes of pleasure and riot; and 
often in what seemed to him well- 
formed plans. H Serving divers lusts 
and pleasures. Indulging in the vari- 



1 love of God our Saviour toward 
man appeared, 
5 Not a by works of righteousness 

a Eph. 2.4,8,9. 

ous corrupt passions and propensities 
of the soul. We were so under their 
influence that it might be said we 
were their servants, or were slaves to 
them (dovXtvovTt?) ; that is, we im- 
plicitly obeyed them. See Notes on 
Rom. vi. 16, 17. U Living in malice. 
Gr., in evil — h mkiV, that is, in all 
kinds of evil. See Notes on Rom. i. 
29, where the word is rendered mali- 
ciousness. % And envy. Displeasure at 
the happiness and prosperity of oth- 
ers. See Notes on Rom. i. 29. 1 Hate- 
ful. oTvy^Tol. . This word does not 
elsewhere occur in the New Testa- 
ment. It means that their conduct 
was such as to be worthy of the ha- 
tred of others. Of whom, before his 
conversion, is not this true? ^ And 
hating one another. There was no 
brotherly love ; no true affection for 
others. There was ill-will felt in the 
heart, and it was evinced in the life. 
This is an apt description of the state 
of the heathen world before the Gos- 
pel shines on it, and it may be regard- 
ed as the characteristic of all men 
before conversion. They have no true 
love for one another, such as they 
ought to cherish, and they are liable 
constantly to give indulgence to feel- 
ings which evince hatred. In conten- 
tions, and strifes, and litigations, and 
wars, this feeling is constantly break- 
ing out. All this is suggested here as 
a reason why Christians should now 
be gentle and mild toward those who 
are evil. Let us remember what we 
were, and we shall not be disposed to 
treat others harshly. When a Chris- 
tian is tempted to unkind thoughts 
or words toward others, nothing is 
more appropriate for him than to re- 
flect on his own past life. 

4. But after that. Gr., when — otjt. 
The meaning is, that "when the love 
of God was manifested in the plan of 
salvation, he saved us from this state 
by our being washed and purified." 
The idea is not that " the love of God 
appeared" after we had sinned in this 
way, but that when his mercy was thus 
displayed we were converted from our 
sins, and made pure in his sight. 
% The kindness, v xpncrTorr^ — the good- 
ness, or the benignity. The word is ren- 
dered goodness and good in Rom. ii. 4; 



272 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



which we have done, but accord- 
ing to his mercy he saved us, by 

iii. 12 ; xi. 22, thrice ; kindness, 2 Cor. 
vi. 6; Eph. ii. 7; Col. iii. 12; Titus iii. 
4 ; and gentleness, Gal. v. 22. The act 
of redeeming us was one of great kind- 
ness, or goodness. H And love of God. 
Marg., pity. The Greek word is cf>i- 
XavSpiDTria—philanthrophy — the love of 
man. The plan of salvation was 
founded on love to man, and was the 
highest expression of that love. See 
Notes on John iii. 16. The Greek of 
this verse is," When the kindness and 
love of God our Saviour to man was 
manifested, he saved us" (ver. 5), to 
wit, from those sins of which we had 
before been guilty. 

5. Not by works of righteousness which 
we have done. The plan was not based 
on our own good works, nor are our 
own good works now the cause, of our 
salvation. If men could have been 
saved by their own works, there would 
have been no need of salvation by the 
Redeemer ; if our own deeds were now 
the basis of our title to eternal life, 
the work of Christ would be equally 
unnecessary. It is a great and funda- 
mental principle of the Gospel that 
the good works of men come in for 
no share in the justification of the 
soul. They are in no sense a consider- 
ation on account of which God par- 
dons a man and receives him to favor. 
The only basis of justification is the 
merit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in 
the matter of justification before God 
all the race is on a level. See Notes 
on Eph. ii. 8, 9. If But according to his 
mercy. (1. ) It had its origin in mercy ; 
(2.) it is by mere mercy or compassion, 
and not by justice; (3.) it is an ex- 
pression of great mercy ; and (4.) it is 
now in fact conferred only by mercy. 
Whatever we have done or can do, 
when we come to receive salvation 
from the hand of God, there is no oth- 
er element which enters into it but 
mercy. It is not because our deeds 
deserve it; it is not because we have 
by repentance and faith wrought our- 
selves into such a state of mind that 
we can claim it; but, after all our 
tears, and sighs, and prayers, and good 
deeds, it is a mere favor. Even then 
God might justly withhold it if he 
chose, and no blame would be attach- 
ed to him if he should suffer us to sink 
down to ruin. \He saved us. That 
is, he began that salvation in us which 



the washing of regeneration, and 
renewing of the Holy Ghost ; 

is to be completed in heaven. A man 
who is already renewed and pardoned 
may be spoken of as saved— for (1.) 
the work of salvation is begun, and (2.) 
when begun it will certainly be com- 
pleted. See Notes on Phil. i. 6. Tf By 
the washing of regeneration. In order 
to a correct understanding of this im- 
portant passage, it is necessary to as- 
certain whether the phrase here used 
refers to baptism, and whether any 
thing different is intended by it from 
what is meant by the succeeding 
phrase — " renewing of the Holy 
Ghost." The word rendered washing 
(XovTpov, loutron) occurs in the New 
Testament only in this place and in 
Eph. v. 26, where also it is rendered 
washing — "That he might sanctify 
and cleanse it [the Church] with the 
washing of water by the word." The 
word properly means a bath — a place 
for bathing; then water for bathing; 
then the act of bathing, washing, ab- 
lution. — Passow and Mobinson. It is 
used by Homer to denote a warm or 
cold bath ; then a washing away, and 
is thus applied to the drink-offerings 
in sacrifice, which were supposed to 
purify or wash away sin.— Passow. 
The word here does not mean laver, 
or the vessel for washing in, which 
would be expressed by \ovT-np, louter, 
and this word can not be }3roperly 
applied to the baptismal font. The 
word in itself would naturally be un- 
derstood as referring to baptism 
(comp. Notes on Acts xxii. 16), which 
was regarded as the emblem of wash- 
ing away sins, or of cleansing from 
them. I say it was the emblem, not 
the means of purifying the soul from 
sin. If this be the allusion, and it 
seems probable, then the phrase 
"washing of regeneration" would 
mean "that outward washing or bap- 
tism which is the emblem of regenera- 
tion," and which is appointed as one 
of the ordinances connected with sal- 
vation. See Notes on Mark xvi. 16: 
"He that believeth and is baptized shall 
be saved." It is not affirmed in this 
phrase that baptism is the means of 
regeneration, or that grace is necessa- 
rily conveyed by it ; and still less that 
baptism is regeneration, for no one of 
these is a necessary interpretation of 
the passage, and should not be assumed 
to be the true one. The full force of 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER III. 



273 



the language will be met by the sup- 
position that it means that baptism is 
the emblem or symbol of regeneration, 
and, if this is the case, no one has a 
right to assume that the other is cer- 
tainly the meaning. And that this is 
the meaning is further clear, because 
it is nowhere taught in the New Tes- 
tament that baptism is regeneration, 
or that it is the means of regeneration. 
The word rendered regeneration (ira- 
Xiyyf i/£o-ia, palingenesia) occurs in the 
'New Testament only here and in Matt, 
xix. 28 — " in the rege?ierationY?h.en the 
Son of man," etc. It means, properly, 
a new birth, reproduction, renewal. 
It would properly be applied to one 
who should be begotten again in this 
sense, that a new life was commenced 
in him in some way corresponding to 
his being made to live at first. To 
the proper idea of the word, it is es- 
sential that there should be connected 
the notion of the commencement of 
life in the man, so that he may be said 
to live anew ; and as religion is in the 
Scriptures represented as life, it is 
properly applied to the beginning of 
that kind of life by which man may 
be said to live anew. This word, oc- 
curring only here and in Matt. xix. 28, 
and there indubitably ?iot referring to 
baptism, should not be here under- 
stood as referring to that, or be ap- 
plied to that, for (1.) that is not the 
proper meaning of the word ; (2. ) there 
is no Scripture usage to sanction it ; 
(3.) the connection here does not de- 
mand it; (4.) the correlatives of the 
word (see John iii. 3, 5, 6, 8 ; 1 Pet. i. 3) 
are applied only to that great moral 
change which is produced by the Holy 
Ghost ; and (5. ) it is a dangerous use of 
the word. Its use. in this sense leaves 
the impression that the only change 
needful for man is that Which is pro- 
duced by being regularly baptized. 
On almost no point has so much in- 
jury been done in the Church as by 
the application of the word regenera- 
tion to baptism. It affects the begin- 
ning of religion in the soul, and if a 
mistake is made there, it is one which 
must pervade all our views of piety. 
*fl And renewing of the Holy Ghost. 
This is an important clause, added by 
Paul apparently to save from the pos- 
sibility of falling into error. If the 
former expression, u the washing of 
regeneration," had been left to stand 
by itself, it might have been supposed, 
possibly, that all the regeneration 
M2 



which would be needed would be that 
which would accompany baptism. 
But he avoids the possibility of this 
error by saying that the " renewing of 
the Holy Ghost" is an indispensable 
part of that by which we are saved. 
It is necessary that this should exist 
in addition to that which is the mere 
emblem of it — the washing of regen- 
eration—for without this the former 
would be unmeaning and unavailing. 
It is important to observe that the 
apostle by no means says that this al- 
ways follows from the former, nor does 
he affirm that it ever follows from it — 
whatever may be the truth on that 
point— but he asserts that this is that 
on which our salvation depends. The 
word rendered renewing (avaKaivotxris, 
anakainosis) occurs only here and in 
Rom. xii. 2, where it is also rendered 
renewing. Comp. Notes on that place. 
The verb {avaKaivoto, anakainoo) oc- 
curs in 2 Cor. iv. 15, and Col. iii. 19, in 
both of which places it is rendered 
renewed, and the corresponding word, 
avaKaivi £o> — anakainizo — in Heb. vi. 6. 
The noun properly means making 
new again; a renewing; a renovation. 
Comp. H. Planck, in Mb. Mepos. , i. , 677. 
It is a word which is found only in 
the writings of Paul and in ecclesias- 
tical Greek writers. It would be prop- 
erly applied to such a change as the 
Holy Spirit produces in the soul, 
making one a new man ; that is, a man 
new, so far as religion is concerned: 
new in his views, feelings, desires, 
hopes, plans, and purposes. He is so 
far different from what he was before 
that it may be said he enters on a new 
life. SeeNotesonEph.iv.23,24. The 
" renewing of the Holy Ghost" of course 
means that which the Holy Ghost 
produces, recognizing the fact, every 
where taught in the Scriptures, that 
the Holy Spirit is the Author of the 
new creation. It can not mean, as 
Koppe supposes, the renewing of the 
mind itself, or producing a holy spirit 
in the soul. 

6. Which he shed on us. Gr. , 1 ( Which 
he potwed out on us" — i^x EEV - See 
Notes on Acts ii. 17. The same Greek 
word is used there as here. It occurs 
also in the same sense in Acts ii. 18, 33. 
1[ Abundantly. Marg., as in Gr., rich- 
ly. The meaning is, that the Holy 
Spirit had been imparted in copious 
measure in order to convert them 
from their former wickedness. There 
is no particular allusion here to the 



274 



TITUS. 



[A.D. 64. 



6 Which he shed on us 1 abun- 
dantly, through Jesus Christ our 
Saviour ; 

7 That, being justified" by his 
grace, we should be made heirs ac- 
cording to the hope of eternal life. 

8 This is a faithful saying ; and 
these things I will that thou affirm 
constantly ; that they which have 

1 or, richly, a Rom. 3. 24. 



day of Pentecost, but the sense is 
that the Holy Spirit had been impart- 
ed richly to all who were converted, 
at any time or place, from the error 
of their ways. What the apostle says 
here is true of all who become Chris- 
tians, and can be applied to all who 
become believers in any age or land. 
IT Through Jesus Christ our Saviour. 
See Notes on Acts ii. 33. 

7. That, being justified by his grace. 
Not by our own works, but by his fa- 
vor or mercy. See Notes on Rom. iii. 
24. If We should be made heirs. See 
Notes on Rom. viii. 15, 17. U Accord- 
ing to the hope of eternal life. In refer- 
ence to the hope of eternal life ; that 
is, we have that hope in virtue of our 
being adopted into the family of God, 
and being made heirs. He has re- 
ceived us as his children, and he per- 
mits us to hope that we shall live 
with him forever. 

8. This is a faith fid saying. See 
Notes on 1 Tim. i. 15. The reference 
here is to what he had been just say- 
ing, meaning that the doctrine which 
he had stated about the method of 
salvation was in the highest degree 
important, and entirely worthy of be- 
lief. T[ And these things I will that thou 
affirm constantly. Make them the 
constant subject of your preaching. 
H That they which have believed in God 
might be careful to maintain good works. 
This shows that Paul supposed that 
the doctrines of the Gospel were fit- 
ted to lead men to holy living. Comp. 
veivl, and Notes on Phil. iv. 8. The 
"good works" here refer not merely 
to acts of benevolence and charity, 
but to all that is upright and good — 
to an honest and holy life, l These 
things are good and profitable unto men. 
That is, these doctrines which he had 
stated were not mere matters of 
speculation, but they were fitted to 
promote human happiness, and they 
should be constantly taught. 



believed in God might be careful 
6 to maintain good works. These 
things are good and profitable 
unto men. 

9 But c avoid foolish questions, 
and genealogies, and contentions, 
and strivings about the law ; for 
they are unprofitable and vain. 

10 A man that is a heretic, after 

bver. 1,14. c 2 Tim. 2.23. 

9. Bid avoid foolish questions and gen- 
ealogies. See Notes on 1 Tim. i. 4 ; 2 
Tim. ii. 16, 23. And contentions, and 
strivings about the law. Such as the 
Jews started about various matters 
connected with the law — about meats 
and drinks, etc. See Notes on 1 Tim. 
i. 4. Comp. Notes on Acts xviii. 15. 
^ Tor they are unprofitable and vain. 
They disturb and embitter the feel- 
ings; they lead to the indulgence of 
a bad spirit ; they are often difficult 
to be settled; and they are of no prac- 
tical importance if they could be de- 
termined. The same thing might be 
said of multitudes of things about 
which men dispute so earnestly now. 

10. A man that is a heretic. The 
word heretic is now commonly applied 
to one who holds some fundamental 
error of doctrine, "a person who holds 
and teaches opinions repugnant to the 
established faith, or that which is 
made the standard of orthodoxy. 
Webster. The Greek word here used 
(alpETiKoSy haireticos) occurs nowhere 
else in the New Testament. The cor- 
responding noun (alpnai?, hairesis) oc- 
curs in the following places : Acts 
v. 17; xv. 5; xxiv. 5; xxvi. 5; xxviii. 
22, where it is rendered sect ; and Acts 
xxv. 14; 1 Cor. xi. 19; Gal. v. 20; 2 
Pet. ii. 1, where it is rendered heresy 
and heresies. See Notes on Acts xxiv. 
14. The true notion of the word is 
that of one who is a promoter of a 
sect or party. The man who makes 
divisions in a Church, instead of aim- 
ing to promote its unity, is the one 
who is intended. Such a man may 
form sects and parties on some points 
of doctrine on which he differs from 
others; or some custom, religious 
rite, or peculiar practice, he may make 
a ground of distinction from his breth- 
ren, and may refuse to have fellow- 
ship with them, and endeavor to get 
up a new organization. Such a man, 
according to the Scripture usage, is 



A.D. 04] 



CHAPTER III. 



275 



the first and second admonition, a 
reject; 

11 Knowing that he that is such 

a heretic, and not merely one who holds 
a different doctrine from that which 
is regarded as orthodox. The spirit 
of the doctrine here is the same as in 
Kom. xvi. 17, and the same class of 
persons is referred to: 4 'Mark them 
which cause divisions and offenses 
contrary to the doctrine which ye 
have received; and avoid them." See 
Notes on that passage. The word 
here used is defined by Robinson 
{Lex.), "one who creates dissensions, 
introduces errors; a factious person." 
It is not found in classic Greek, but 
often in ecclesiastical writers. See 
Suicer's Thesaur. ^ After the first and 
second admonition. Comp. Matt, xviii. 
15-17. That is, do not do it hastily 
or rashly. Give him an opportunity 
to explain himself, to repent, and to 
abandon his course. No man is to be 
cut off without giving him a proper 
opportunity to vindicate his conduct, 
and to repent if he has done wrong. 
If, after the first and second admoni- 
tion, a man, who is undoubtedly do- 
ing wrong, will not repent, then he is 
to be cut off. The apostle does not 
say in what way this admonition is to 
be given, or whether it should be pub- 
lic or private. The language which 
he uses would justify either, and the 
method which is to be adopted is 
doubtless to be determined by circum- 
stances. The thing which is to be 
reached is, that his fault is to be fairly 
set before his mind. Tf Reject. Trapanov. 
This word is rendered excuse in Luke 
xiv. 18, 19 ; refuse, Acts xxv. 11 ; 1 Tim. 
iv. 7 ; v. 11 ; Heb. xii. 25 ; avoid, 2 Tim. 
ii. 23 ; and entreated, Heb. xii. 19. Its 
prevailing meaning, as used in con- 
nections like the one before us, is to 
reject in relation to an office; that is, to 
decline appointing one to an office. 
It probably had a primary reference 
to that here, and meant that a man 
who was given to making dissensions, 
or who was a factious person, should 
not be admitted to an office in the 
Church. The general direction would 
also include this — that he should not 
be admitted to the Church. He is 
neither to be owned as a member nor 
admitted to office. Comp. Matt, xviii. 
17: u Let him be unto thee as a hea- 
then man and a publican." In regard 
to this passage, then, we may observe, 



is subverted, and sinneth, being 
condemned of himself. 
12 When I shall send Artemas 

(1.) that the utmost limit which this 
allows is mere exclusion. It does not 
allow us to follow the offender with 
injury. (2.) It does not authorize us 
to oppose one on account of his mere 
private opinions. The essential idea 
is that of a factious, division-making 
man ; a man who aims to form sects 
and parties, whether on account of 
opinions or from any other cause. 
(3.) It does not make it right to de- 
liver such a man over to the " secular 
arm," or to harm him in body, soul, 
property, or reputation. It gives no 
power to torture him on the rack, or 
with thumb-screws, or to bind him to 
the stake. It does authorize us not to 
recognize him as a Christian brother, 
or to admit him to an office in the 
Church — but beyond this it gives us 
no right to go. He has a right to his 
own opinion still, as far as we are con- 
cerned, and we are not to molest him 
in the enjoyment of that right. (4.) 
It demands that, when a man is un- 
doubtedly a heretic in the sense here 
explained, there should be the utmost 
kindness toward him, in order if pos- 
sible to reclaim him. We should not 
begin by attacking and denouncing his 
opinions ; or by formally arraigning 
him ; or by blazoning his name abroad 
as a heretic ; but he is to be dealt with 
in all Christian kindness and brother- 
ly fidelity. He is to be admonished 
more than once by those who have the 
right to admonish him ; and then, and 
then only, if he does not repent, he is 
to be simply avoided. That is to be an 
end of the matter so far as we are con- 
cerned. The power of the Church 
there ceases. It has no power to de- 
liver him over to any one else for per- 
secution or punishment, or in any way 
to meddle with him. He may live where 
he pleases ; pursue his own plans ; en- 
tertain his own opinions or company, 
provided he does not interfere with 
us; and though we have a right to 
examine the opinions which he may 
entertain, yet our work with the man 
is done. If these plain principles had 
been observed, what scenes of bloody 
and cruel persecution in the Church 
would have been avoided ! 

11. Knowing that he that is such is 
subverted. Literally, is turned out ; or, 
is changed, that is, for the worse. He 



276 

unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent 
to come unto me to Mcopolis : for 
I have determined there to "win- 
ter. 

13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and 
Apollos on their journey diligent- 

1 or, profess honest trades. 



has gone from the right way, and there- 
fore he should be rejected. If And sin- 
neth, being condemned of himself. His 
own conscience condemns him. He 
will approve the sentence, for he 
knows that he is wrong; and his self- 
condemnation will be punishment suf- 
ficient. His own course, in attempt- 
ing a division or schism in the Church, 
shows him that it is right that he 
should be separated from the com- 
munion of Christians. He that at- 
tempts to rend the Church, without a 
good reason, should himself be sepa- 
rated from it. 

12. When I shall send Artemas unto 
thee. This person is not elsewhere 
mentioned in the New Testament, and 
nothing more is known of him. If Or 
Tychicus. See Notes on Acts xx. 4. 
Hife diligent. See Notes on 2 Tim. iv. 
9. If To come unto me to Nicopolis. It 
was at this place, probably, that this 
epistle was written. In regard to its 
situation, see Introd. , § 4. If For I have 
determined there to winter. Why Paul 
designed to spend the winter there, or 
what he purposed to do there, are ques- 
tions on which no light can now be 
thrown. There is no evidence that he 
organized a Church there, though it 
may be presumed that he preached the 
Gospel, and that he did not do it with- 
out success. His requesting Titus to 
leave his important post and come to 
him, looks as if his aid were needed in 
the ministry, and as if Paul supposed 
there was a promising field of labor 
there. 

13. Bring Zenas the lawyer. Th is per- 
son is not elsewhere mentioned in the 
New Testament, and nothing more is 
known of him. He belonged doubtless 
to that class of persons^o often men- 
tioned in the New Testament as law- 
yers; that is, who were regarded as 
qualified to expound the Jewish laws. 
See Notes on Matt. xxii. 35. It does 
not mean that he practiced law, in the 
modern sense of that phrase, He had 
doubtless been converted to the Chris- 
tian faith, and it is not improbable that 
there were Jews at Nicopolis, and that 



[A.D. G4. 

ly, that nothing be wanting unto 
them. 

14 And let ours also learn to 1 
maintain good "works for neces- 
sary uses, that they be not unfruit- 
ful. 

a ver. 8. 

Paul supposed he might be particular- 
ly useful among them. Tf And Apollos. 
See Notes on Acts xviii. 24. He was 
also well-skilled in the laws of Moses, 
being u mighty in the Scriptures" 
(Acts xviii. 24), and he and Zenas ap- 
pear to have been traveling together. 
It would seem that they had been al- 
ready on a journey, probably in preach- 
ing the Gospel, and Paul supposed 
that they would be in Crete, and that 
Titus could aid them. If Diligently. 
2 Tim. iv. 9. Gr., speedily; that is, fa- 
cilitate their .journey as much as pos- 
sible. If That nothing be wanting unto 
them. Nothing necessary for their 
journey. Paul desired that they might 
meet with hospitable treatment from 
Christians in Crete, and might not be 
embarrassed for the want of that which 
was needful for their journey. It 
would seem most probable that they 
had been sent by Paul on a visit to the 
churches. 

14. And let ours. Our friends; that 
is, those who were Christians. Paul 
had just directed Titus to assist Zenas 
and Apollos on their journey, and he 
here adds that he wished that others 
who were Christians would be char- 
acterized by good works of all kinds. 
TT To main tain good works. Marg. , pro- 
fess honest trades. The Greek will ad- 
mit of the interpretation in the mar- 
gin, or will include that, but there is no 
reason why the direction should be 
supposed to have any peculiar refer- 
ence to an honest mode of livelihood, 
or why it should be confined to that. 
It rather means that they should be 
distinguished for good works in gen- 
eral, including acts of charity, honest 
toil, and whatever would enter into 
the conception of an upright life. See 
Notes on ver, 8. If For necessary uses. 
Such as are required by their duty to 
their families, and by the demands of 
charity. See ver. 8. If That they be not 
mfruitful. That it may be seen that 
their religion is not barren and worth- 
less, but that it produces a happy effect 
on themselves and on society. Comp. 
Notes on John xv. 16; Eph. iv. 27. 



TITUS. 



A.D. 64.] 



CHAPTER III. 



277 



15 All that are with me salute 
thee. Greet them that love us in 
the faith. Grace be with you all. 
Amen. 

15. All that are ivith me salute thee. 
See Notes on Rom. xvi. 3. Paul, at the 
close of his epistles, usually mentions 
the names of those who sent affection- 
ate salutations. Here it would seem 
to be implied that Titus knew who 
were with Paul, and also that he him- 
self had been traveling with him. He 
evidently refers not to those who were 
residing in the plajce where he was, but 
to those who had gone with him from 
Crete as his companions. Greet 
them that love us in the faith. In the 
faith of the Gospel, or as Christians. 
No names are mentioned. Comp. 1 
Thess. v. 26 ; Col. iv. 15. 1" Grace he 
with you all. See Notes on Rom. i. 7 ; 
xvi. 20. 

The subscription, It was written to 
Titus," etc. , is, like the other subscrip- 
tions at the close of the epistles, of no 
authority whatever. See the close of 
the Notes on 1 Cor. In this subscrip- 
tion there are probably two errors: 
(1.) In the statement that Titus was 
u ordained the first bishop of the 
Church of the Cretians;" for (a) there 
is no evidence that there was a Church 
there called 11 the Church of the Cre- 
tians," as there were doubtless many 
churches on the island; (&) there is no 
evidence that Titus was the^rs^ bishop 
of the Church there, or that he was the 
first one there to whom might be prop- 
erly applied the term bishop in the 



It was written to Titus, ordained 
the first bishop of the Church 
of the Cretians, from Nicopo- 
lis of Macedonia. 

seriptural sense. Indeed, there is 
positive evidence that he was not the 
first, for Paul was there with him, and 
Titus was "left" there to complete 
what he had begun, (c) There is no 
evidence that Titus was " bishop" 
there at all in the prelatical sense of 
the term, or even that he was a settled 
pastor. See Notes on vs. 1, 5. (2.) 
That the epistle was written "from 
Nicopolis of Macedonia;" for(a) there 
is no certain evidence that it was 
written at Nicopolis at all, though 
this is probable ; (b) there is no reason 
to believe that the Nicopolis referred 
to was in Macedonia. See In trod. , § 4. 
These subscriptions are so utterly 
destitute of authority, and are so full 
of mistakes, that it is high time they 
were omitted in the editions of the 
Bible. They form no part of the in- 
spired writings, but are of the nature 
of "notes and comments," and are 
constantly doing something, perhaps 
much, to perpetuate error. The opin- 
ion that Timothy and Titus were prelat- 
ical bishops, the one of Ephesus and the 
other of Crete, depends far more on these 
worthless subscriptions than on any thing 
in the epistles themselves. Indeed, there 
is no evidence of it in the epistles; 
and, if these subscriptions were re- 
moved, no man from the New Testa- 
ment would ever suppose that they 
sustained this office at all. • 



NOTES, 

EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAL, 

ON THE 

EPISTLE OF PAUL TO PHILEMON. 

By ALBERT BARNES. 



INTKODUCTION. 



§ 1. The History of Ph ilemon. 

Of Philemon, to whom this epistle was addressed, almost nothing 
more is known than can be ascertained from the epistle itself. It is 
short, and of a private character ; but it is a bright and beautiful gem 
in the volume of inspiration. 

From Col. iv. 9, it may be inferred that the person to whom it was 
addressed was an inhabitant of Colosse, since Onesimus, concerning 
whom this epistle was written, is there mentioned as " one of them." 
See Notes on that verse. Comp. the ingenious remarks of Paley, Hot. 
Paid., on Colossians, No. IY. He is said by Calmet and Michaelis to 
have been wealthy ; but this can not be determined with certainty, 
though it is not improbable. The only circumstances which seem to 
indicate this are that Onesimus had been his " servant,' 1 from which it 
has been inferred that he was an owner of slaves ; and that he appears 
to have been accustomed to show hospitality to strangers, or, as Mi- 
chaelis expresses it, " traveling Christians/' See ver. 22 of the epistle. 
But these circumstances are not sufficient to determine that he was a 
man of property. There is no evidence, as we shall see, that he was a 
slaveholder ; and Christians in moderate circumstances were accustom- 
ed to show hospitality to their brethren. Besides, it is not said in ver. 
22 that he was accustomed to show general hospitality ; but Paul mere- 
ly asks him to provide for Mm a lodging. It is probable that he had 
been accustomed to remain with him when he was in Colosse. 

It is quite clear that he had been converted under the ministry of 
the apostle himself. This appears from what is said in ver. 19 : u I do 
not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self." This 
can not be understood otherwise than as implying that he had been 
converted under his preaching, unless the apostle, on some former oc- 
casion, had been the means of saving his life, of which there is no evi- 
dence. Indeed, it is manifest, from the general tone of the epistle, that 
Philemon had been converted by the labors of the author. It is just 
such a letter as it would be natural and proper to write on such a 
supposition ; it is not one which the apostle would have been likely 
to write to any one who did not sustain such a relation to him. But 
where and when he was converted is unknown. It is possible that 
Paul may have met with him at Ephesus; but it is much more prob- 
able that he had himself been at Colosse, and that Philemon was one 
of his converts there. See Introd. to the epistle to the Colossians. 

It is evident from the epistle that Paul regarded him as a sincere 
Christian ; as a man of strict integrity; as one who could be depend- 
ed on to do right. Thus (ver. 5-7) he says that he had heard of his 



cclxxxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



"love and faith toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;" thus 
he confidently asks him to provide for him a lodging when he should 
come (ver. 22) ; and thus he expresses the assured belief that he would 
do what was right toward one who- had been his servant, who, hav- 
ing been formerly unfaithful, was now converted* and, in the estima- 
tion of the apostle, was worthy of the confidence and affection of his 
former master. 

In regard to his rank in the Christian Church, nothing whatever is 
known. Paul calls him (ver. 1) his " fellow-laborer but this appel- 
lation is so general that it determines nothing in regard to the manner 
in which he co-operated with him in promoting religion. It is a term 
which might be applied to any active Christian, whether a preacher, 
an elder, a deacon, or a private member of the Church. It would seem 
clear, however, that he was not a traveling preacher, for he had a home 
in Colosse (vs. 2, 22) ; and the presumption is, that he was an active 
and benevolent member of the Church who did not sustain any office. 
There are many private members of the churches to whom all that is 
said of Philemon in the epistle would apply. Yet there have been 
various conjectures in regard to the office which he held. Hoffmann 
(Introd. ad Lection. Ep. ad Colossenses, § 18) supposes that he was bishop 
of Colosse; Michaelis supposes that he was a deacon in the Church; 
but of the truth of either of these opinions there is no evidence what- 
ever. 

Nothing is known of his age, his profession, or of the time and cir- 
cumstances of his death. Neither is it certainly known what effect 
this epistle had on him, or whether he again received Onesimus under 
his roof. It may be presumed, however, that such a letter, addressed 
to such a man, would not fail of its object. 

§ 2. The Occasion on which the Epistle was icritten. 

This can be learned only from the epistle itself, and there the cir-" 
cumstances are so marked as to make a mistake impossible. 

(1.) Philemon had had a servant of the name of Onesimus. Of the 
character of this servant, before Paul became acquainted with him, 
nothing more is known than that he had been " unprofitable" to Phile- 
mon (ver. 11), and that he had probably done him some wrong, either 
by taking his property, or by the fact that he had escaped from him. 
Ver. 18. It is not necessary to suppose that he was a slave ; for all that 
is implied of necessity in the word which is employed to designate his 
condition in ver. 16 (dovXog), and all that is stated of him in the epistle, 
would be met by the supposition that he was bound to Philemon, eith- 
er by his parents or guardians, or that he had bound himself to ren- 
der voluntary service. See Notes on ver. 16. 

(2.) For some cause, this servant had fled from his master, and had 
gone to Rome. The cause of his escaping is unknown. It may be that 
he had purloined the property of his master, and dreaded detection ; 
or that he had, by his base conduct in some other way, exposed him- 
self to punishment ; or that he merely desired freedom from oppres- 
sion ; or that he disregarded the bonds into which he himself, or his 
parents or guardians, had entered, and therefore escaped. Nothing 
can be inferred about his condition, or his relation to Philemon, from 



INTRODUCTION. 



cclxxxiii 



the fact that he ran away. It is perhaps quite as common for appren- 
tices to run away as it is for slaves; and they who enter into voluntary 
bonds to render service to another do not always regard them. 

(3.) In some way, when at Rome, this servant had found out the 
apostle Paul, and had been converted by his instrumentality. Paul 
says (ver. 10) that he had " begotten him in ids bonds" — lv rolg deafiolg 
fiov ; which seems to imply that Onesimus had come to him, and not 
that Paul had searched him out. It does not appear that Paul, when 
a prisoner at Rome, was allowed to go at large (comp. Acts xxviii. 30), 
though he was permitted to receive all who came to him. Why Ones- 
imus came to the apostle is not known. It may have been because he 
was in want, and Paul was the only one in Rome whom he had seen ; 
or it may have been because his mind had become distressed on ac- 
count of sin, and he sought him out to obtain spiritual counsel. Con- 
jecture on these points is useless, where there is not even a hint that 
can serve as a clew to find out the truth. 

(4.) From some cause, equally unknown, Onesimus, when converted, 
was desirous of returning to his former master. It is commonly as- 
sumed that his returning again was at the instigation of the apostle, and 
that this furnishes an instance of his belief that runaway slaves should 
be sent back to their masters. But, besides that there is no certain evi- 
dence that he ever was a slave, there is as little proof that he return- 
ed at the instigation of Paul, or that his return was not wholly volun- 
tary on his part. For the only expression which the apostle uses on 
this subject (ver. 12), " whom I have sent again" — avkiz^a — does not 
necessarily imply that he even proposed it to him, still less that he com- 
manded it. It is a word of such general import that it would be em- 
ployed on the supposition that Onesimus desired to return, and that 
Paul, who had a strong wish to retain him in order to assist him in 
the same way that Philemon himself would do if he were with him 
(comp. ver. 13), had, on the whole, concluded to part with him, and to 
send him again, with a letter, to his friend Philemon. It is just such 
language as he would have used of Timothy, Titus, or Epaphroditus, 
if employed on an important embassy at the request of the apostle. 
Comp. Luke vii. 6, 10, 19 ; xx. 13 ; Acts x. 5 ; xv. 22 ; 1 Cor. iv. 17 ; 2 
Cor. ix. 3 ; Eph. vi. 22 ; Phil. ii. 19, 23, 25, 28 ; 1 Thess. iii. 2, 5 ; Titus 
iii. 12, for a similar use of the word send (7T£/x7ra>). There is nothing 
in the statement which forbids us to suppose that Onesimus was him- 
self disposed to return to Philemon, and that Paul " sent" him at his 
own request. To this Onesimus might have been inclined from many 
causes. He may have repented that he left his master, and had for- 
saken the cornforts which he had enjoyed under his roof. It is no 
uncommon thing for a runaway apprentice, when he has seen and felt 
the misery of being among strangers and in want, to wish himself well 
hack again in the house of his master. Or he may have felt that he 
had wronged his master in some way (comp. Notes on ver. 18), and, 
being now converted, was desirous of repairing the wrong. Or he 
may have had friends and kindred in Colosse whom he was desirous 
of seeing again. Since any one of these, or of many other supposable 
causes, may have induced him to desire to return to his master, it 
should not be assumed that Paul sent him against his will, and thence 



cclxxxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



de inferred that lie was in favor of sending back runaway slaves to their 
masters against their will. There are many points to be proved, which 
can not be proved, to make that a legitimate inference. See Notes 
on ver. 12. 

(5.) Whatever were the reasons why Onesimus desired to return to 
Philemon, it is clear that he was apprehensive of some trouble if he 
went back. What his grounds of apprehension were it is impossible 
now to determine with absolute certainty, but it is not difficult to con- 
jecture what they may have been, and any of the following will account 
for his fears : — either (a) that he had done his master WTong by the 
mere act of leaving him, depriving him of valuable services which he 
was bound to render ; or (Z>) that he may have felt that the act of run- 
ning away had injured the character of his master, for such an act al- 
ways implies that there is something in the dealings of a master which 
makes it desirable to leave him ; or (c) that he had in some way injured 
him in respect to property, by taking that which did not belong to 
him, ver. 18 ; or (d) that he owed his master, and that he may have in- 
ferred from his leaving him that he meant to defraud him, ver. 18 ; or (e)' 
that the laws of Phry gia were such that Onesimus apprehended that if 
he returned, even penitent, it would be judged by his master necessary to 
punish him, in order to deter others from committing a similar offense. 
The laws of Phrygia, it is said, allowed the master to punish a slave 
without applying to a magistrate. See Macknigkt. It should be said, 
also, that the Phrygians were a severe people (Curtius, lib. v., c. 1), and 
it is not improbable that, from the customs there, Onesimus may have 
apprehended harsh treatment if he returned. It is not proper to as- 
sume that any one of these was certainly the reason why he feared to 
return, for this can not be absolutely determined. We should not 
take it for granted that he had defrauded his master — for that is not 
necessarily implied in what is said in ver. 18, and we should not im- 
pute crimes to men without proof ; nor should we take it for granted 
that he feared to be punished as a runaway slave — for that can not be 
proved ; but some one or more of these reasons doubtless operated to 
make him apprehensive that if returned he would meet with, at least, 
a cold reception. 

(6.) To induce his master to receive him kindly again was the main 
object of this courteous and kind epistle. For a view of the argu- 
ments on which he urges this, see the Analysis of the epistle. The ar- 
guments are such that we should suppose they could not be resisted, 
and we may presume, without impropriety, that they had the desired 
effect on the mind of Philemon — but of that we have no evidence. 

§ 3. The Time and Place of Writing the Bjnstle. 

There can be no doubt that this letter was written from Rome about 
the time when the epistle to the Colossians was written. Compare 
Introduction to that epistle. The circumstances which conduct to 
this conclusion are such as the following : (1.) Paul, at the time when 
it was written, was a prisoner. Ver. 1 : " Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ." 
Ver. 10 : " Whom I have begotten in my bonds." Comp. ver. 23 : 
"Epaphras my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus." (2.) It was written 
when he had a hope of obtaining his liberty, or when he had such a 



INTRODUCTION. 



cclxxxv 



prospect of it that he could ask Philemon, with confidence, to " pre- 
pare him a lodging." Ver. 22. (3.) Timothy was with him at the time 
when it was written. Yer. 1. (4.) We know that Onesimus was act- 
ually sent by Paul to Colosse while he was a prisoner at Rome, and it 
would be morally certain that, under the circumstances of the case, he 
would send the letter to his master at that time. No other instance is 
mentioned in which he sent him to Colosse, and the evidence is as cer- 
tain as the nature of the case admits that that was the time when the 
epistle was written. See Col. iv. 9. (5.) The same persons are men- 
tioned in the salutations in the two epistles, at least they are so far 
the same as to make it probable that the epistles were written at the 
same time, for it is not very probable that the same persons would, 
in another place and on another occasion, have been with the apostle. 
Thus Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas join in the salu- 
tations both to the Church at Colosse and to Philemon. Probably at 
no other time in the life of Paul were all these persons with him, ex- 
cept when he was a prisoner at Rome. These considerations make 
it clear that the epistle was written while Paul was a prisoner at Rome, 
and at about the same time as the epistle to the Colossians. If so, it 
was about A.D. 62. 

§ 4. The Character of this Ejnstle. 

This letter is almost wholly of a private character, and yet there is 
scarcely any portion of the New Testament of equal length which is 
of more value. It is exquisitely beautiful and delicate. It is a model 
of courtesy and politeness. It presents the character of the author in 
a most amiable light, and shows what true religion will produce in 
causing genuine refinement of thought and language. It is gentle 
and persuasive, and yet the argument is one that we should suppose 
would have been, and probably was, irresistible. It is very easy to 
conceive that the task which the apostle undertook to perform was 
one which it would be difficult to accomplish — that of reconciling an 
offended master to a runaway servant. And yet it is done with so 
much kindness, persuasiveness, gentleness, and true affection, that it is 
easy to imagine that, as the letter was read, all the hostility of the mas- 
ter was disarmed, and we can almost see him desiring to embrace him 
who bore it, not now as a servant, but as a Christian brother. Yer. 1G. 
" It is impossible," says Doddridge, " to read over this admirable epis- 
tle without being touched with the delicacy of sentiment and the 
masterly address that appear in every part of it. We see here, in a 
most striking light, how perfectly consistent true politeness is — not 
only with all the warmth and sincerity of a friend, l3ut even with the 
dignity of the Christian and the Apostle. And if this letter were to 
be considered in no other view than as a mer^ human composition, it 
must be allowed to be a masterpiece in its kind. As an illustration 
of this remark, it may not be improper to compare it with an epistle 
of Pliny, that seems to have been written on a similar occasion (Book 
ix., Let. 21) ; which, though penned by one that was reckoned to ex- 
cel in the epistolary style, though it has undoubtedly many beauties, 
yet must be acknowledged by every impartial reader vastly inferior 
to this animated composition of the apostle." As a specimen of the 



cclxxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



courtesy and politeness which the Christian ought to practice at all 
times, as well as furnishing many valuable lessons of Christian duty 
(see the Remarks at the close), it deserves a place in the volume of 
inspiration ; and a material chasm would be produced in the instruc- 
tions which are needful for us if it were withdrawn from the sacred 
canon. 



/ 



EPISTLE Of PAUL TO PHILEMON. 



ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. 

The epistle embraees the following 
subjects * 

I. The salutation. Ver. 1-3. 

II. A mention of the gratifying ac- 
count which the apostle had heard of 
Philemon, and the occasion which he 
had for thankfulness on his behalf. 
Ver. 4-7. 

(a) He always remembered him in 
his prayers. Ver. 4. 

(b) He had heard of his faith and 
love, and of his kindness toward 
those who bore the Christian 
name. Ver. 5. 

(c) He desired that his goodness in 
making others, in common with 
himself, partakers of the expres- 
sion of his faith, might be more 
effectual in securing the proper 
acknowledgment of it wherever 
it might be known. Ver. 6. 

(d) He says that he himself had great 
joy and consolation from the hap- 
piness which Philemon had con- 
ferred on Christians who needed 
his aid. Ver. 7. 

III. The main subject of the epistle 
— the desire that Philemon would re- 
ceive his servant Onesimus again, and 
the arguments to persuade him to do 
it. Ver. 8-21. 

(1.) Paul places it on the ground of 
entreaty, not of command. He might, 
in virtue of his apostolic office, enjoin 
many things on him, and possibly 
this, yet he chooses to place it wholly 
on other grounds, and to make it a 
matter of personal friendship. Ver. 8. 

(2.) Particular reasons why he 
should do it: — 
(a) For love's sake — love to Paul— 
now an old man, and in prison on 
account of their common religion. 
Ver. 9. 

(6) Paul regarded Onesimus as his 
own son, and asked that he might 
be received and treated as such. 
Ver. 10. 

(c) He assures Philemon that, what- 
ever he might have been former- 
ly, he would now find him to be 
profitable to himself. Ver. 11. 



(d) He assures him that Onesimus 
was especially dear to him, and 
that he would have been very use- 
ful to him in his circumstances, 
but that he did not think it proper 
to retain him with him without 
the consent of Philemon. Onesi- 
mus, therefore, was not sent back 
as a worthless vagabond, and Phil- 
emon, in receiving him, might be 
sure that he was receiving one 
who Paul believed was fitted to 
be eminently useful. Ver. 12-14. 

(e) He suggests to Philemon that 
probably it was arranged by divine 
Providence that Onesimus should 
depart, in order that he might re- 
ceive him again in a far more ten- 
der and endearing relation, not 
as a servant, but as a Christian 
brother. Vs. 15, 16. 

(/) He appeals to the personal 
friendship of Philemon, and asks 
that if he regarded him as a par- 
ticipator with him in the hopes of 
the Gospel, or as a fellow-laborer 
in a common cause, he would re- 
ceive Onesimus as he would him- 
self. Ver. 17. 

(g) He says that he would himself 
become security for Onesimus if 
he owed Philemon any thing, or 
had in any way wronged him. 
Vs. 18, 19. 

(h) He concludes the argument by 
referring to the happiness which 
it would give him if Philemon 

* would receive his former servant 
again; and with the expression 
of his conviction that he would do 
more than he asked in the mat- 
ter ; and he then asks that, while 
he showed favor to Onesimus, he 
would also prepare a lodging for 
him, for he hoped soon to be with 
him. Ver. 20-22. Perhaps by this 
last suggestion he hoped also to 
do much to favor the cause of 
Onesimus — for Philemon could 
hardly turn him away when he 
expected that Paul himself would 
soon be with him. Such an ar- 
gument would be likely to be ef- 
fectual in the case. We do not 



288 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



PAUL, a prisoner a of Jesus 
Christ, and Timothy our broth- 
er, unto Philemon our dearly be- 
loved, and fellow-labourer. 6 

2 And to our beloved Apphia, 
and Archippus c our fellow-soldier, 
and to the Church d in thy house : 

a Eph. 3.1. b Phil. 2. 25. c Col. 4. 17. 



like to deny the request which a 
friend makes in a letter, if we ex- 
pect soon to see the writer him- 
self. It would be much more easy 
to do it if we had no expectation 
of seeing him very soon. 
IV. The epistle closes with affec- 
tionate salutations from certain per- 
sons who were with Paul, and who 
were probably well known to Phile- 
mon, and with the customary bene- 
diction. Ver. 23-25. 

1. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ. A 
prisoner at Rome in the cause of J csus 
Christ. See Notes on Eph. iii. 1; 2 
Tim. i. 8. And Timothy our brother. 
Timothy, it seems, had come to him 
agreeably to his request. 2 Tim. iy. 9. 
Paul not unfrequently joins his name 
with his own in his epistles. 2 Cor. 
i. 1 ; Phil. i. 1 ; Col. i. 1 ; 1 Thess. i. 1 ; 
2 Thess. i. 1. As Timothy was of that 
region of country, and as he had ac- 
companied Paul in his travels, he was 
doubtless acquainted with Philemon. 
TT Unto Philemon our dearly beloved and 
fellow-laborer. See In trod., § 1. The 
word rendered fellow -laborer (awtp- 
yos) does not determine what office 
he held, if he held any, or in what re- 
spects he was a fellow-laborer with 
Paul. It means a co-worker or helper, 
and doubtless here means that he was 
a helper or fellow-worker in the great 
cause to which Paul had devoted his 
life, but whether as a preacher, a rul- 
ing elder, a deacon, or a private Chris- 
tian, can not be ascertained. It is 
commonly, in the New Testament, ap- 
plied to ministers of the Gospel, 
though by no means exclusively, and 
in several instances it can not be de- 
termined whether it denotes ministers 
of the Gospel, or those who furthered 
the cause of religion, and co-operated 
with the apostle in some other way 
than by preaching. See the following- 
places, which are the only ones where 
it occurs in the New Testament. 
Rom. xvi. 3, 9, 21 ; 1 Cor. iii. 9; 2 Cor. 
i. 24; viii. 23; Phil. ii. 25; iv. 3; Col. 



3 Grace e to you, and peace, from 
God our Father and the Lord Je- 
sus Christ. 

4 I thank f my God making 
mention of thee always in my 
prayers, 

5 Hearing of thy love and faith, 

d Rom. 16. 5. e Eph. 1.2. /Eph. 1.16. 



iv. 11 ; 1 Thess. iii. 2 ; Philem. i. 24 ; 3 
John, 8. 

2. And to our beloved Apphia. This 
was a female (Gr., ayairi)^), and was 
probably the wife of Philemon. ^ And 
Archippus our fellow-soldier. See Notes 
on Col. iv. 17. It has been supposed 
that he was a son of Philemon, and 
this would appear not to be improb- 
able, as he was one of his family. 
On the term "fellow -soldier," see 
Notes on Phil. ii. 25. It is applied 
here to one who was a minister of the 
Gospel, and who is spoken of in con- 
nection with Paul as enlisted under the 
banners of the Captain of salvation, 
and waging a warfare with the wicked- 
ness of the world. Comp. Notes on 
2 Tim. ii. 3, 4. That Archippus was a 
minister of the Gospel is clear from 
Col. iv. 17. ^ And to the Church in thy 
house. Either the Church that com- 
monly met in his house, or more prob- 
ably that was composed of his own 
family. Comp. Notes on Horn. xvi. 5. 

3. Grace to you, and peace, etc. See 
Notes on Rom. i. 7. 

4. 1 thank my God. That is, for what 
I hear of you. ^ Ifaking mention of 
thee always in my prayers. See a sim- 
ilar declaration respecting the Church 
atEphesus. Eph. i. 16. It would ap- 
pear from this that Paul, in his pri- 
vate devotions, was in the habit of 
mentioning churches and individuals 
by name. It would seem, also, that 
though he was a prisoner, yet he 
somehow found opportunity for se- 
cret devotion. And it would appear 
further that, though encompassed 
with many cares and sorrows, and 
about to be put on trial for his life, 
he did not forget to remember a Chris- 
tian brother though far distant from 
him, and to bear him on his heart be- 
fore the throne of grace. To remem- 
ber with affectionate concern these 
churches and individuals, as he did, 
Paul must have been a man of much 
prayer. 

5. Hearing of thy love and faith. Ei- 
ther by Onesimus, who, after his con- 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



289 



which thou hast toward the Lord 
Jesus, and toward all saints ; 

6 That a the communication of 
thy faith may become effectual 6 

a Phil. 1.9-11. b James 2.14,17. 

version, would be disposed to state all 
that he knew that was favorable of 
Philemon, or hearing it by some oth- 
er persons who had come from Co- 
losse to Rome. The faith which is 
mentioned here refers, to the Lord 
Jesus; the love, to the" saints. The 
order in the Greek is indeed the same 
as in our version, but it is not unusu- 
al by synthesis, or uniting two or more 
things together, to arrange words in 
that manner. Thus Matt. xii. 22, 
" The blind and dumb both spake and 
saw;" that is, the blind saw, and the 
dumb spake. The meaning is, that he 
had strong faith in the Lord Jesus, 
and ardent love toward all who were 
Christians. See a similar declaration 
in Col. i. 4. 

6. That the communication of thy faith. 
That is, this was a subject of prayer 
on the part of the apostle, that the 
''communication of his faith" might 
receive from all the proper acknowl- 
edgment of the good which he did 
in the Christian cause. The phrase 
translated "communication of thy 
faith," means the making of thy faith 
common to others; that is, enabling 
others to partake of the fruits of it, 
to wit, by good deeds. On the mean- 
ing of the word here rendered " com- 
munication" (KOLucovia, koinonia), see 
Notes on Eph. iii. 9. Comp. Phil. ii. 
1 ; iii. 10. Calvin has well expressed 
the sense of this passage. "It is to 
be observed that the apostle here does 
not proceed in the commendation of 
Philemon, but rather expresses what 
he desires for him from the Lord. 
These words are connected with those 
in which he says that he remembered 
him in his prayers. What, therefore, 
did he desire for Philemon? That 
his faith, expressing itself by good 
fruits, might be shown to be true and 
not vain. For he calls that the com- 
munication of his faith when it does 
not remain inoperative within, but 
bears itself forth to benefit men by its 
proper effects. For although faith 
has its proper seat in the heart, yet it 
communicates itself to men by good 
works." The meaning is, that he de- 
sired that Philemon would so make 
common the proper fruits of faith by 
N 



by the acknowledging of every c 
good thing which is in you in 
Christ Jesus. 
7 For we have great joy and con- 

c Phil. 4. 8. 2 Pet. 1.5-8. 

his good deeds toward others, that all 
might acknowledge it to be genuine 
and efficacious. i\ 3fay become effect- 
ual. Gr., "Maybe energetic" (hep- 
yus) ; may become operative, active, 
effective. ^ By the acknowledging. 
That is, so as to secure from others 
the proper recognition of the exist- 
ence of faith in your heart. In other 
words, so that others may see that 
you are truly pious, and understand 
to what extent you have faith. If Of 
every good thing which is in you. Of 
every good principle, and of every be- 
nevolent trait, which is in your char- 
acter. That is, the proper outward 
expression of his faith in Christ, by 
doing good to others, would be a de- 
velopment of the benevolence which 
existed in his heart. If In Christ Je- 
sus. Or "toward (sis) Christ Jesus." 
The goodness in his heart had respect 
to the Lord Jesus as its proper ob- 
ject, but would be made manifest by 
his kindness to men. The truth which 
is taught in this passage, therefore, 
is that when faith exists in the heart, 
it is very desirable that it should im- 
part its proper fruits toward others 
in such a way that all may see that it 
is operative, and may recognize its 
power ; or in other words, it is desir- 
able that when true religion exists it 
should be fairly developed, that its 
possessor may be acknowledged to be 
under its influence. We should wish 
that he may have all the credit and 
honor which the goodness of his heart 
is entitled to. Paul supposed that 
a case had now occurred in which an 
opportunity was furnished to Phile- 
mon to show the world how much he 
was governed by the faith of the Gos- 
pel. 

7. For we have great joy and consola- 
tion in thy love. In thy love toward 
Christians. The word here rendered 
joy (x«P LV ) properly means grace. A 
large number of manuscripts, how- 
ever, instead of this word, have x a P^ v i 
char an, joy. See Wetstein. This 
reading has been adopted by Gries- 
bach, Tittman, and Hahn. ^Because 
the bowels of the saints are refreshed by 
thee, brother. For your kindness to 
them. The w r ord bowels here proba- 



290 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



solation in thy love, because the 
bowels of the saints are refreshed 
a by thee, brother. 
8 Wherefore, though 6 1 might be 

a 2 Cor. 7. 13. 2 Tim. 1.16. 

bly means minds, hearts, for it is used 
in the Scriptures to denote the affec- 
tions. The sense is, that the kind- 
ness which he had shown to Chris- 
tians had done much to make them 
happy. On the word refreshed, see 2 
Cor. vii. 13 ; 2 Tim. i. 16. 

8. Wherefore, though I might be much 
bold in Christ. Though I might have 
much boldness as an apostle of Christ. 
He means that he was invested with 
authority by the Lord Jesus, and 
would have a right, as an apostle, to 
enjoin what ought to be done in the 
case which he is about to lay before 
him. Comp. 1 Thess. ii. 6, 7. % To 
enjoin thee that which is convenient. To 
command what is proper to be done. 
The word convenie?it here (to avrjKov) 
means that which would be fit or prop- 
er in the case. Comp. Notes on Eph. 
v. 4. The apostle implies here that 
what he was about to ask was proper 
to be done in the circumstances, but he 
does not put it on that ground, but 
rather asks it as a personal favor. It 
is usually not best to command a thing 
to be done, if we can as well secure it 
by asking it as a favor. Comp. Dan. i. 
8, 11, 12. 

9. Yet for lovers sake. For the love 
which you bear me, and for the com- 
mon cause. TT I rather beseech thee. 
Rather than command thee. ^ Being 
such a one as Paul the aged. 7rpE<r(3v- 
T^—an old man. We have no means 
of ascertaining the exact age of Paul 
at this time, and I do not recollect 
that he ever alludes to his age, though 
he often does to his infirmities, in any 
place except this. Doddridge sup- 
poses that at the time when Stephen 
was stoned, when he is called u a 
young man " {vzavias, Acts vii. 58), he 
was twenty-four years of age, in which 
case he would now have been about 
fifty-three. Chrysostom supposes 
that he may have been thirty -five 
years old at the time of his conver- 
sion, which would have made him 
about sixty-three at this time. The 
difficulty of determining with any de- 
gree of accuracy the age of the apos- 
tle at this time, arises from the indef- 
inite nature of the word used by Luke 
(Acts vii. 58), and rendered a young 



much bold in Christ to enjoin thee 
that which is convenient, • 

9 Yet for love's sake I rather be- 
seech thee, being such a one as 

b 1 Thess. 2. 6. 

man. That word, like the correspond- 
ing word veavio-Kos, neaniskos, was ap- 
XJlied to men in the vigor of manhood 
up to the age of forty years. — Robin- 
son, Lex. Phavorinus says a man is 
called v£civL<tko<s, neaniskos, a young 
man, tillheis*twenty-eight ; andTr^cr- 
ftuTf]?, presbytes, from forty -nine till 
he is fifty-six. Varro says that a man 
is young (juvenis) till he is forty-five, 
and aged at sixty. — Whitby. These 
periods of time, however, are very in- 
definite, but it will accord well with 
the usual meaning of the words to 
suppose that Paul was in the neigh- 
borhood of thirty when he was con- 
verted, and that lie was now not far 
from sixty. We are to remember, 
also, that the constitution of Paul 
may have been much broken by his 
labors, his perils, and his trials. Not 
advanced probably to the usual limit 
of human life, he may have had all 
the characteristics of a very aged man. 
Comp. the Note of Benson. The ar- 
gument here is, that we feel that it is 
proper, as far as we can, to grant the 
request of an old man. .Paul thus 
felt that it was reasonable to suppose 
that Philemon would not refuse to 
gratify the wishes of an aged servant 
of Christ, who had spent the vigor of 
his life in the service of their com- 
mon Master. It should be a very 
strong case when we refuse to gratify 
the wishes of an aged Christian in 
any thing, especially if he has render- 
ed important services to the Church 
and the world. IT And now also a pris- 
oner of Jesus Christ. In the cause of 
Jesus Christ ; or a prisoner for en- 
deavoring to make him known to the 
world. Comp. Notes on Eph. hi. 1 ; 
iv. 1; vi. 20; Col. iv. 10. The argu- 
ment here is, that it might be pre- 
sumed that Philemon would not re- 
fuse the request of one who was suf- 
fering in prison on account of their 
common religion. For such a pris- 
oner we should be ready to do all that 
we can to mitigate the sorrows of his 
confinement, and to make his condi- 
tion comfortable. 

10. 1 beseech thee for my son Onesimus. 
That is, my son in the Gospel ; one to 
whom I sustain the relation of a spir- 



A.D. 04.] 



PHILEMON. 



291 



Paul the aged, and now also a 
prisoner of Jesus Christ ; 
10 I beseech thee for my son 

a Col. 4. 9. 6 1 Cor. 4. 15. 

itual father. Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. 
i. 2. The address and tact of Paul 
here are worthy of particular obser- 
vation. Any other mode of bringing 
the case before the mind of Philemon 
might have repelled him. If he had 
simply said, "I beseech thee for Ones- 
imus ;" or, "I beseech thee for thy 
servant Onesimus," he would at once 
have reverted to his former conduct, 
and remembered all his ingratitude 
and disobedience. But the phrase 
u my son" makes the way easy for 
the mention of his name, for it may 
be presumed that the appeal had al- 
ready found the way to his heart be- 
fore his eye lighted on the name of 
his former servant, by the mention 
which Paul makes of the relation 
which he now sustained to himself. 
Who could refuse to such a man as 
Paul— a laborious servant of Christ — 
an aged man, exhausted with his many 
sufferings and toils — and a prisoner — 
a request which he made for one 
whom he regarded as his son ? It may 
be added that the delicate address of 
the apostle in introducing the sub- 
ject is better seen in the original than 
in our translation. In the original, 
the name Onesimus is reserved to 
come in last in the sentence. The 
order of the Greek is this : "I en- 
treat thee concerning a son of mine, 
whom I have begotten in my bonds — 
Onesimus." Here the name is not 
suggested until he had mentioned 
that he sustained to him the relation 
of a son, and also till he had added 
that his conversion was the fruit of 
his labors while he was a prisoner. 
Then, when the name of Oaesimus is 
mentioned, it would occur to Phile- 
mon not primarily as the name of an 
ungrateful and disobedient servant, 
but aslhe interesting case of one con- 
verted by the labors of his own friend 
in prison. Was there ever more del- 
icacy evinced in preparing the way 
for disarming one of prejudice, and 
carrying an appeal to his heart? 
*f[ Whom I have begotten in my bonds. 
Who has been converted by my ef- 
forts while I have been a prisoner. On 
the phrase " whom I have begotten," 
see 1 Cor. iv. 15. Nothing is said of 
the way in which he had become ac- 



Onesimus, a whom I have begotten 
b in my bonds : 
11 Which in time past was to 

c 1 Pet. 2. 10. 

quainted with Onesimus, or why he 
had put himself under the teaching 
of Paul. See the Introd., § 2 (3). 

11. Which in time past was to thee un- 
profitable. Either because he was in- 
dolent, or because he had wronged 
him (comp. Notes on ver. 18), or be- 
cause he had run away from him. It 
is possible that there may be an allu- 
sion here to the meaning of the name 
Onesimus, which denotes profitable 
(from oulvrifu, onfnemi, fut. vvneru), one- 
so, to be useful, to be profitable, to help), 
and that Paul means to say that he 
had hitherto not w r ell answered to 
the meaning of his own name, but 
that now he would be found to do so. 
%But now profitable to thee. The Greek 
here is zvyjpnaTov, euchreston, but the 
meaning is about the same as that of 
the word Onesimus. It denotes very 
useful. In 2 Tim. ii. 21, it is rendered 
meet for use; in 2 Tim. iv. 11, and here, 
profitable. It does not elsewhere oc- 
cur in the New Testament. IF And to 
me. Paul had doubtless found him 
useful to him as a Christian brother 
in his bonds, and it is easy to con- 
ceive that, in his circumstances, he 
would greatly desire to retain him 
with him. 

12. Whom I have sent again. That 
is, to Philemon. This was, doubtless, 
at his own request, for (1. ) there is not 
the slightest evidence that he compelled 
him, or even urged him to go. The 
language is just such as would have 
been used on the supposition either 
that Paul requested him to go and bear 
a letter to Colosse, or that Onesimus 
desired to go, and that Paul sent him 
agreeably to his request. Comp. Phil, 
ii. 25 : " Yet I supposed it necessary to 
send to you Epaphroditus my brother, 
and companion in labor," etc. Col. 
iv. 7, 8 : " All my state shall Tychicus 
declare unto you, who is a beloved 
brother, and a faithful minister and 
fellow-servant in the Lord: whom I 
have sent unto you for the same pur- 
pose, that he might know your es- 
tate," etc. But Epaphroditus and 
Tychicus were not sent against their 
own will — nor is there any more rea- 
son to think that Onesimus was. See 
Introd., §2 (4). (2.) Paul had no power 
to send Onesimus back to his master 



292 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



thee unprofitable, but now profita- 
ble to thee and to me : 

12 Whom I have sent again: 
thou therefore receive him, that is, 
mine own bowels ; 



unless he chose to go. He had no 
civil authority; he had no guard to 
accompany him ; he could intrust him 
to no sheriff to convey him from place 
to place, and he had no means of con- 
trolling him if he chose to go to any 
other place than Colosse. He could 
indeed have sent him away from him- 
self; he could have told him to go to 
Colosse, hut there his power ended. 
Onesimus then could have gone where 
he pleased. But there is no evidence 
that Paul even told him to go to Co- 
losse against his own inclination, or 
that he would have sent him away at 
all unless he had himself requested it. 
(3.) There may have heen many rea- 
sons why Onesimus desired to return 
to Colosse, and no one can prove that 
he did not express that desire to Paul, 
and that his "sending" him was not 
in consequence of such a request. 
He may have had friends and rela- 
tives there; or, being now converted, 
he may have been sensible that he had 
wronged his former master, and that 
he ought to return and repair the 
wrong; or he may have been poor, 
and a stranger in Rome, and may have 
been greatly disappointed in what he 
had expected to find there when he 
left Philemon, and may have desired 
to return to the comparative comforts 
of his former condition. (4.) It may 
be added, therefore, (a) that this pas- 
sage should not be adduced to prove 
that we ought to send back runaway 
slaves to their former masters against 
their own consent; or to justify the 
laws which require magistrates to do 
it; or to show that they who have es- 
caped should be arrested and forcibly 
detained; or to justify any sort of influ- 
ence over a runaway slave to induce him 
to return to Ms former master. There 
is not the least evidence that any of 
these things occurred in the case be- 
fore us, and if this instance is ever ap- 
pealed to, it should be to justify what 
Paul did- — and nothing else, (b) The 
passage shows that it is right to aid a 
servant of any kind to return to his 
master if he desires it. It is right to 
give him a "letter," and to plead ear- 



13 Whom I would have retained 
with me, that a in thy stead he 
might have ministered unto me in 
the bonds of the Gospel : 

14 But without thy mind would 

a l Cor. 16. 17. Phil. 2. 30. 



nestiy for his favorable reception if he 
has in any way wronged his master — 
for Paul did this. On the same prin- 
ciple it would be right to give him 
pecuniary assistance to enable him to 
return— for there may be cases where 
one who has fled from servitude might 
wish to return. There may be in- 
stances where one has had a kind 
master, with whom he would feel that 
on the whole he could be more happy 
than in his present circumstances. 
Such cases, however, are exceedingly 
rare. Or there may be instances where 
one may have relatives that are in the 
neighborhood or in the family of his 
former master, and the desire to be 
with them may be so strong that on 
the whole he would choose to be a 
servant as he was before, rather than 
to remain as he is now. In all such 
cases it is right to render aid — for the 
example of the apostle Paul goes to 
sustain this. But it goes no further. 
So far as appears, he neither advised 
Onesimus to return ; nor did he com- 
pel him ; nor did he say one word to 
influence him to do it; nor did he mean 
or expect that he would be a slave when 
he should have been received again 
by his master. See Notes on ver. 16. 
If Thou therefore receive him, that is y 
mine own bowels. There is great del- 
icacy also in this expression. If he 
had merely said " receive 7*im," Phil- 
emon might have thought only of 
him as he formerly was. Paul there- 
fore adds, "that is, mine own botveh" 
— " one wfiom I so tenderly love that 
he seems to carry my heart with him 
wherever he goes." — Doddridge. 

13. Whom 1 would have retained with 
me, that in thy stead. " That he might 
render me the service which I know 
you would if you were here." The 
Greek is, "for thee" {birkp aov); that 
is, what he would have done for Paul 
might be regarded as done by Phile- 
mon himself. f[ He might have minis- 
tered unto me. He might h ave rendered 
me assistance (SiaKovr}) ; to wit, in such 
a way as one who was in bonds would 
need. 

14. But without thy mind would I do 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



293 



I do nothing; that thy benefit 
should not be as it were of neces- 
sity, but willingly , a 

a 2 Cor. 9. 7. 

nothing. Nothing in the matter re- 
ferred to. He would not retain Ones- 
imus in his service, much as he needed 
his assistance, without the cordial con- 
sent of Philemon. He would not give 
him occasion for hard feeling or com- 
plaint, as t/* Paul had induced him to 
leave his master; or as if he persuad- 
ed him to remain with him when he 
wished to return ; or as if he kept him 
away from him when he owed him or 
had wronged him. All that is said 
here is entirely consistent with the 
supposition that Onesimus was dis- 
posed to return to his master, and 
with the supposition that Paul did not 
compel or urge him to do it. For it 
is probable that if Onesimus had pro- 
posed to return, it would have been 
easy for Paul to have retained him 
with him. He might have referred 
to his own want of a friend. He might 
have appealed to his gratitude on ac- 
count of his efforts for his conversion. 
He might have shown him that he was 
under no moral obligation to go back. 
He might have refused to give him 
this letter, and might have so repre- 
sented to him the dangers of the way, 
and the probability of a harsh recep- 
tion, as effectually to have dissuaded 
him from such a purpose. But, in 
that case, it is clear that this, if it 
should be known, might have caused 
hard feeling in the bosom of Phile- 
mon, and rather than do that he pre- 
ferred to let him return to his master, 
and to plead for him that he might 
have a kind reception. It is, there- 
fore, by no means necessary to sup- 
pose that Paul felt that Onesimus was 
under obligation to return, or that he 
was disposed to compel him, or that 
Onesimus was not inclined to return 
voluntarily ; but all the circumstances 
of the case are met by the supposition 
that, if Paul retained him, Philemon 
might conceive that he had injured 
Mm. Suppose, as seems to have been 
the case, that Onesimus "owed" Phil- 
emon (ver. 18), and then suppose that 
Paul had chosen to retain him with 
himself, and had dissuaded him from 
returning to him, would not Phile- 
mon have had reason to complain of 
it ? There was, therefore, on every ac- 
count, great propriety in his saying 



15 For 5 perhaps he therefore de- 
parted for a season, that thou 
shouldest receive him forever ; 

b Gen. 45. 5-8. 

that he did not wish to use any in- 
fluence over him to retain him with 
him when he proposed to return to 
Colosse, and that he felt that it would 
be wrong for him to keep him, much 
as he needed him, without the consent 
of Philemon. Nor is it necessary, by 
what is said here, to suppose that 
Onesimus was a slave, and that Paul 
believed that Philemon had a right to 
him and to his services as such. All 
that he says here would be met by the 
supposition that he was a hired serv- 
ant, and would be in fact equally 
proper even on the supposition that 

; he was merely an apprentice. In ei- 
ther case, he would feel that he gave 

i just ground of complaint to Philemon 
if, when Onesimus desired to return, 

| he used any influence to dissuade him 

I from it, and to retain him with him- 
self. It would have been a violation 
of the rule requiring us to do to oth- 
ers as we would wish them to do unto 
us, and Paul therefore felt unwilling, 
much as he needed the services of 
Onesimus, to make use of any influ- 
ence to retain him with him without 
the consent of his master. ^ That thy 
benefit. The favor which I might re- 
ceive from thee by having the services 
of Onesimus. If Onesimus should re- 
main with him and assist him, he would 
feel that the benefit which would be 
conferred by his services would be in 
fact bestowed by Philemon, for he had 
a right to the service of Onesimus, 
and, while Paul enjoyed it, he would 
be deprived of it. The word rendered 
benefit here — &ya2r6v — means good, and 
the sense is, "the good which you 
would do me;" to wit, by the service 
of Onesimus. % Should not be as it were 
of necessity. As it would be if Paul 
should detain Onesimus with him 
without affording Philemon an op- 
portunity of expressing his assent. 
Paul would indeed have felt that he 
was in fact receiving a "good" at the 
expense of Philemon, but it would 
not be a voluntary favor on his part. 
^ But willingly. As it would be if he 
had given his consent that Onesimus 
should remain with him. 

15. For perhaps he therefore departed 
for a season. Perhaps on this account, 
or for this reason — dia tovto — he left 



294 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



16 Not now as a servant, but 
above a servant, a brother "be- 
loved, specially to me, but how 

a Matt. 23.8. 1 Tim. 8. 2. 

you for a little, time. Greek, "for an 
hour" — 7rpos topav. The meaning is, 
that it was possible that this was per- 
mitted, in the providence of God, in 
order that Onesimus might be brought 
under the influence of the Gospel, and 
might be far more serviceable to Phil- 
emon as a Christian than he could 
have been in his former relation to 
him. What appeared to Philemon, 
therefore, to be a calamity, and what 
seemed to him to be wrong on the 
part of Onesimus, might have been 
suffered to occur in order that he 
might receive a higher benefit. Such 
tilings are not uncommon in human 
affairs. T| That thou shouldest receive 
him forever. That is, in the higher 
relation of a Christian friend and 
brother — that he might be united to 
thee in eternal affection; thathemight 
not only be with thee in a far more 
endearing relation during the present 
life than he was before, but in the 
bonds of love in a world that will 
never end. 

16. JS T ot now as a servant The adverb 
rendered li ?iotnoiv ) ' > (ovkItl), means no 
more, no further, no longer. It implies 
that he had been before in this con- 
dition, but was not to be now. Comp. 
Matt. xix. 6, u They are no more twain." 
They were once so, but they are not 
to be regarded as such now. Matt, 
xxii. 46, ''Neither durst any man from 
that day forth ask him any more ques- 
tions." They once did it, but now 
they did not dare to do it. Luke xv. 
19, "And am no more worthy to be 
called thy son," though I once was. 
John vi. 66, "And walked no more 
with him," though they once did. 
See also John xi. 54; xiv. 19; xvii. 11 ; 
Acts viii. 39; Gal. iv. 7; Eph. ii. 19. 
This passage then proves that he had 
before been a servant — Sou\o<s,doulos. 
But still it is not certain what kind 
of a servant he was. The word does 
not necessarily mean slave, nor can it 
be proved from this passage, or from 
an} 7 other part of the epistle, that he 
was at any time a slave. See Notes 
on Eph. vi. 5, and 1 Tim. vi. 1. The 
word denotes servant of any kind, and 
it should never be assumed that those 
to whom it was applied were slaves. 
It is true that slavery existed in the 



much more unto thee, both in the 
flesh, 5 and in the Lord ? 
17 If thou count me therefore 

b Col. 3. 22. 

heathen nations when the Gospel was 
first preached, and it is doubtless true 
that many slaves were converted 
(comp. Notes on 1 Cor. vii. 21); but 
the mere use of the word does not nec- 
essarily prove that he to whom it is 
applied was a slave. If Onesimus was 
a slave, there is reason to think that 
he was of a most respectable charac- 
ter (comp. Notes on Col. iv. 9), and 
indeed all that is implied in the use 
of the term here, and all that is said 
of him, would be met by the supposi- 
tion that he was a voluntary servant, 
and that he had been in fact intrusted 
with important business by Philemon. 
It would seem from ver. 18 ("or oweth 
thee aught 7 y ) that he was in a condition 
which made it possible for him to hold 
property, or at least to be intrusted 
with the care of property. % But above 
a servant, a brother beloved. A Chris- 
tian brother. Comp. Notes on 1 Tim. 
vi. 2. He was especially dear to Paul 
himself as a Christian, and he trusted 
that he would be so to Philemon, 
"[f Specially to me. That is, I feel a 
special or particular interest in him 
and affection for him. This he felt 
not only on account of the traits of 
character which he had evinced since 
his conversion, but because he had 
been converted under his instrumen- 
tality when he was a prisoner. A 
convert made in such circumstances 
would be particularly dear to one. 
*ff But hovj much more unto thee. Why, 
it may be asked, would he then be 
particularly dear to Philemon ? I an- 
swer, because (1.) of the former rela- 
tion which he sustained to him — a 
member of his own family, and bound 
to him by strong ties; (2.) because he 
would receive him as a penitent, and 
would have joy in his returning from 
the error of his ways ; (8.) because he 
might expect him to remain long with 
him, and be of advantage to him as a 
Christian brother; and (4.) because 
he had voluntarily returned, and had 
thus shown that he felt a strong at- 
tachment to his former master. *ft In 
thefesh. This phrase is properly used 
with reference to any relation which 
may exist pertaining to the present 
world, as contradistinguished from 
that which is formed primarily by re- 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



295 



ligion, and which would be expressed 
by the subjoined phrase, u in the 
Lord." It might, in itself, refer to 
any natural relation of blood, or to 
any formed in business, or to any con- 
stituted by mere friendship, or to a 
family alliance, or to any relation 
having its origin in voluntary or in- 
voluntary servitude. It is not neces- 
sary to suppose, in order to meet the 
full force of the expression, either that 
Onesimus had been a slave, or that he 
Avould continue to be regarded as such. 
Whatever relation of the kind referred 
to above may have existed between 
him and Philemon, would be appro- 
priately denoted by this phrase. The 
new and more interesting relation 
which they were now to sustain to 
each other, which was formed by re- 
ligion, is expressed by the phrase "in 
the Lord." In both these, Paul hoped 
that Onesimus would manifest the ap- 
propriate spirit of a Christian, and be 
worthy of his entire confidence, "[[ In 
the Lord. As a Christian. He will be 
greatly endeared to your heart as a 
consistent and worthy follower of the 
Lord Jesus. On this important verse 
then, in relation to the use which is 
so often made of this epistle by the 
advocates of slavery, to show that Paul 
sanctioned it, and that it is a duty to 
send back those who have escaped 
from their masters that they may again 
be held in bondage, we may remark, 
(1.) that there is no certain evidence 
that Onesimus was ever a slave at all. 
All the proof that he was is to be found 
in the word Sov\o<s — doulos — in this 
verse. But, as we have seen, the mere 
use of this word by no means proves 
that. All that is necessarily implied 
by it is that he was in some way the 
servant of Philemon— whether hired, 
or bought, or apprenticed can not be 
shown. (2.) At all events, even sup- 
posing that he had been a slave, Paul 
did not mean that he should return as 
such, or be regarded as such after he 
had returned. He meant, whatever 
may have been his former relation, 
and whatever subsequent relation he 
may have sustained, that he should be 
regarded as a beloved Christian brother; 
that the leading conception in regard 
to him should be that he was a fel- 
low-heir of salvation, a member of the 
same redeemed Church, a candidate 
for the same heaven. (3.) Paul did 
not send him back in order that he 
might be a slave, or with a view that 



the shackles of servitude should be 
riveted on him. There is not the 
slightest evidence that he forced him 
to return, or that he advised him to do 
it, or even that he expressed a wish 
that he would ; and when he did send 
him, it was not as a slave, but as a be- 
loved brother in the Lord. It can not 
be shown that the motive for sending 
him back was in the slightest degree 
that he should be a slave. No such, 
thing was intimated, nor is any such, 
thing necessary to be supposed in or- 
der to a fair interpretation of %e pas- 
sage. (4.) It is clear that, even if Ones- 
imus had been a slave before, it would 
have been contrary to the wishes of 
Paul that Philemon should now hold 
him as such. Paul wished him to re- 
gard him u not as a servant," but as 
a "beloved brother." If Philemon 
complied with his wishes, Onesimus 
was never afterward regarded or 
treated as a slave. If he did so regard 
or treat him, it was contrary to the ex- 
pressed intention of the apostle, and 
it is certain that he could never have 
shown this letter in justification of it. 
It can not fail to strike any one that 
if Philemon followed the spirit of this 
epistle, he would not consider Onesi- 
mus to be a slave, but if he sustained 
the relation of a servant at all, it would 
be as a voluntary member of his house- 
hold, where, in all respects, he would 
be regarded and treated, not as a 
"chattel" or a "thing," but as a 
Christian brother. (5.) This passage, 
therefore, may be regarded as full 
proof that it is not right to send a slave 
back, against his will, to his former 
master to be a slave. It is right to help 
one if he wishes to go back; to give 
him a letter to his master, as Paul did 
to Onesimus ; to furnish him money 
to help him on his journey if he de- 
sires to return ; to commend him as 
a Christian brother, if he is such; but 
beyond that the example of the apos- 
tle Paul does not go. It is perfectly 
clear that he would not have sent him 
back to be regarded and treated as a 
slave, but being able to commend him 
as a Christian, he was willing to do 
it, and he expected that he would be 
treated, not as a slave, but as a Chris- 
tian. The case before us does not fur- 
nish the slightest evidence that Paul 
would have ever sent him back to be a 
chattel or a thing. If, with his own 
consent, and by his own wish, we can 
send a slave back to his master to be 



296 PHILEMON. [A.D. 64. 

a^partner, a receive him as my- oweth thee aught, put that on mine 
self. account ; 

18 If he hath wronged thee, or 19 I Paul have written it with 

a 2 Cor. 8. 23. 



treated as a Christian and as a ma?i, 
the example of Paul shows that it 
would be right to do it, but it does 
not go beyond that. (6.) In confirma- 
tion of this, and as a guide in duty 
now, it may be observed that Paul 
had been educated as a Hebrew ; that 
he was thoroughly imbued with the 
doctri|^s of the Old Testament ; and 
that one of the elementary principles 
of that system of religion was that a 
runaway slave was in no circumstances 
to be returned by force to his former 
master. u Thou shalt not deliver unto 
Ms master the servant that is escaped from 
his master unto thee." Deut. xxiii. 15. 
It can not be supposed that, trained 
as he was in the principles of the He- 
brew religion — of which this was a 
positive and unrepealed law — and im- 
bued, as he was, with the benevolent 
spirit of the Gospel — a system so hos- 
tile to oppression — the apostle Paul 
would have constrained a slave who 
had escaped from bondage to return 
to servitude against his will. (7.) It 
" may be added that, if the principles 
here acted on by Paul were carried 
out, slavery would speedily cease in 
the world. Very soon would it come 
to an end if masters were to regard 
those whom they hold, "not as slaves," 
but as beloved Christian brothers; not 
as chattels and things, but as the re- 
deemed children of God. Thus re- 
garding them, they would no longer 
feel that they might chain them, and 
task them, and sell them as property. 
They would feel that as Christians 
and as men, they were on a level with 
themselves, and that they who were 
made in the image of God, and who 
have been redeemed with the blood 
of his Son, ought to be free. 

17. If thou count me therefore a part- 
ner. The word rendered partner 
(koivoovo?) means a partaker, a com- 
panion. The idea in the word is that 
of having something in common (kol- 
v6<s) with any one — as common princi- 
ples; common attachments; a com- 
mon interest in an enterprise ; com- 
mon hopes. It may be applied to 
those who hold the same principles 
of religion, who have the same hope 
of heaven, who have the same views 
of things, etc. Here the meaning is, 



that if Philemon regarded Paul as 
sharing with him in the principles 
and hopes of religion, or as a brother 
in the Gospel, so that he would re- 
ceive him, he ought to receive Ones- 
imus in the same way. He was act- 
uated by the same principles, he had 
the same hopes, and he had a claim to 
be received as a Christian brother. 
His receiving Onesimus would be in- 
terpreted by Paul as proof that he re- 
garded him as a partaker of the hopes 
of the Gospel, and as a companion 
and friend. For a plea in behalf of 
another, strongly resembling this, see 
Horace, Epis., lib. i, Ep. 9. 

18. If he hath wronged thee. Either 
by escaping from you, or by failing 
to perform what he had agreed to, or 
by unfaithfulness when he was with 
you as a servant, or by taking your 
property when he went away. Any 
of these" things would meet all that is 
said here, and it is impossible to de- 
termine in which of them he had 
done Philemon wrong. It may be 
observed, however, that the apostle 
evinces much delicacy in this matter. 
He does not say that he had wronged 
him, but he makes a supposition that 
he might have done it. Doubtless 
Philemon would suppose that he had 
done it, even if he had done no more 
than to escape from him, and, what- 
ever Paul's views of that might be, 
he says that, even if it were so, he would 
wish him to set that over to his ac- 
count. He took the blame on him- 
self, and asked Philemon not to re- 
member it against Onesimus. % Or 
oweth thee aught. It appears from this 
that Onesimus, whatever may have 
been his former condition, was capa- 
ble of holding property and of con- 
tracting debts. It is possible that he 
might have borrowed money of Phile- 
mon; or he may have been regarded 
as a tenant, and may not have paid 
the rent of his farm; or the apostle 
may mean that he had owed him serv- 
ice which he had not performed. 
Conjecture is useless as to the w T ay 
in which the debt had been contract- 
ed. If Pat that on mine account. Keck- 
on or impute that to me — kfxol &W6- 
yti. This w T ord occurs nowhere else 
in the New Testament, except in 



A. 



D^j34.] 



PHILEMON". 



207 



mine own hand, I will repay it: 
albeit I do not say to thee how 



thou ow T est unto me even thine 
own self besides. 



Rom. v. 13, where it is rendered im- 
puted. See Notes on that passage. 
It means to reckon, to put to one's 
account ; to wit, either that which he 
has himself done, or that which he 
assumes as his own. It never im- 
plies that that is to be charged on 
one which does not properly belong 
to him, either as his own act, or as 
that which he has assumed. In this 
case, it would have been manifestly 
unjust for Philemon to charge the 
wrong which Onesimus had done, or 
what he owed him, to the apostle Paul 
without his consent ; and it can not 
be inferred from what Paul says here 
that it would have been right to do 
so. The steps in the case were these : 
(1.) Onesimus, not Paul, had done the 
wrong. (2.) Paul was neither guilty 
of it, nor blameworthy for it, and nev- 
er in any way, or by any process, could 
be made to be, or conceived to be. 
It would be true forever that Onesi- 
mus and not he had done the wrong. 
(3.) Paul assumed the debt and the 
wrong to himself. He w r as willing, by 
putting himself in the place of Ones- 1 
imus, to bear the consequences, and 
to have Onesimus treated as if he had 
not done it. When he had voluntari- 
ly assumed it, it was right to treat 
him as if he had done so ; that is, to 
hold him responsible. A man may 
assume a debt if he pleases, and then 
he may be held answerable for it. 
(4.) If he had not assumed this him- 
self, it never could have been right 
for Philemon to charge it on him. 
No possible supposition could make 
it right. No agency which he had in 
the conversion of Onesimus; no 
friendship which he had for him ; no 
favor which he had shown him, could 
make it right. The consent, the con- 
currence, on the part of Paul, was ab- 
solutely necessary in order that he 
should be in any way responsible for 
what Onesimus had done. (5.) The 
same principle prevails in imputation 
every where, (a) What we have done 
is chargeable upon us. (b) If we have 
not done a thing, or have not assumed 
it by a voluntary act, it is not right 
to charge it upon us. (c) In the work 
of redemption the Saviour voluntari- 
ly assumed the place of man, and God 
reckoned, or considered it so. He did 
not hold him guilty or blameworthy 
N2 



in the case ; but as he had voluntarily 
taken the place of the sinner, he was 
treated as if he had been a sinner. 
God, in like manner, does not charge 
on man crimes of which he is not 
guilty. He does not hold* him to be 
blameworthy or ill-deserving for the 
sin of Adam, or for any other sin but 
his own. He reckons things as they 
are. Adam sinned, and he alone was 
held to be blameworthy or ill-deserv- 
ing for the act. By a divine consti- 
tution (comp. Notes on Rom. v. 12, 
seq.), he had rjlaced Adam in such a 
relation to the race that if he sinned, 
the consequences or results would 
pass over and terminate on his pos- 
terity—as the consequences of the sin 
of the drunkard pass over and termi- 
nate on his sons, and God reckons this 
to be so — and treats the race accord- 
ingly. He never reckons those to be 
guilty who are not guilty ; or those 
to be ill-deserving who are not ill-de- 
serving ; nor does he punish one for 
what another has done. When Paul, 
therefore, voluntarily assumed a debt 
or an obligation, what he did should 
not be urged as an argument to prove 
that it would be right for God to 
charge on all the posterity of Adam 
the sin of their first father, or to hold 
them guilty for an offense committed 
ages before they had an existence. 
The case should be adduced to dem- 
onstrate one point only — that when a 
man assumes a debt, or voluntarily 
takes a w T rong done npon himself, it 
is right to hold him responsible for 
it. 

19. 1 Paul have written it with mine 
own hand. It has been inferred from 
this that Paul wrote this entire epis- 
tle with his own hand, though this 
was contrary to his usual practice. 
Comp. Notes on Rom. xvi. 22; 1 Cor. 
xvi. 21 ; Gal. vi. 11. He undoubtedly 
meant to refer to this as a mark of 
special favor toward Philemon, and 
as furnishing security that he would 
certainly be bound for what he had 
promised. IT I will repay it. I will 
be security for it. It is not probable 
that Paul supposed that Philemon 
would rigidly exact it from him, but 
if he did, he would feel himself bound 
to pay it. H Albeit I do not say to thee 
how thou owest unto me thine own self 
besides. Paul had doubtless been the 



298 



PHILEMOK 



[A*. 64. 



20 Yea, brother, let me have joy 
of thee in the Lord : refresh a my 
bowels in the Lord. 

21 Having confidence b in thy 
obedience I wrote unto thee, know- 
ing that thou wilt also do more 
than I say. 

aver. 7. b 2 Cor. 7. 16. 



means of the conversion of Philemon, 
and whatever hope he cherished of 
eternal life was to be traced to his in- 
strumentality. Paul says that this 
was equivalent to his owing himself to 
him. His very life — his eternal wel- 
fare — was to be traced to his labors. 
What he asked now of him was a 
small matter compared with this, and 
he seems to have supposed — what 
w r as probably true — that for this con- 
sideration Philemon would not think 
of exacting of him what he had vol- 
untarily bound himself to pay. 

20. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee 
in the Lord. "By showing me this 
favor in receiving my friend and broth- 
er as I request." The phrase " in the 
Lord" here seems to mean that, if 
this request was granted, he would 
recognize the hand of the Lord in it, 
and would receive it as a favor from 
him. IT Refresh my bowels in the Lord. 
The bowels, in the Scriptures, are uni- 
formly spoken of as the seat of the af- 
fections — meaning commonly the up- 
per viscera, embracing the heart and 
the lungs. Comp. Notes on Isa. xvi. 
11. The reason is, that in any deep 
emotion this part of our frame is pe- 
culiarly affected, or we feel it there. 
Comp. Kobinson's Lex. on the word 
<nr\ayxov. See this illustrated at 
length in Sir Charles Bell's Anatomy 
of Expression, p. 85, seq., ed. London, 
1844. The idea here is, that Paul had 
such a tender affection for Onesimus 
as to give him great concern and un- 
easiness. The word rendered "re- 
fresh" — avairavaSv — means to give rest 
to, to give repose, to free from sorrow or 
care ; and the sense is, that by receiv- 
ing Onesimus, Philemon would cause 
the deep and anxious feelings of Paul 
to cease, and he would be calm and 
happy. Comp. Notes on ver. 7. 

21. Having confidence in thy obedience. 
That you would comply with all my 
expressed desires. ^Iwrote unto thee. 
"I have written to you;" to wit, in 
this epistle. ^Knowing that thou wilt 
also do more than I say. In all the re- 



22 But withal prepare me also a 
lodging : for I c trust that through 
d your prayers I shall be given 
unto you. 

23 There salute thee Epaphras, 6 
my fellow-prisoner in Christ Je- 
sus ; 

cPhil. 2. 24. d 2 Cor. 1.11. e Col. 1.7. 



spects which he had mentioned — in 
receiving Onesimus, and in his kind 
treatment of him. He had asked a 
great favor of him, but he knew that 
he would go even beyond what he had 
asked. 

22. But withal. Or, at the same time 
— A/ma. While you are granting this 
favor, do me also another by prepar- 
ing a lodging for me. f[ Prepare me 
also a lodging. Philemon had been ac- 
customed to show kindness to the 
saints (ver. 5), and not improbably 
Paul had before shared his hospitality. 
The word rendered lodging (%£via) 
means, properly, guest-right, hospitality, 
entertainment; and then, a place for a 
guest. Comp. Acts xxviii. 23. *ft For 
I trust. Paul had some hope of being 
released — an event which probably 
occurred. See Notes on Phil. i. 25; ii. 
23, 24. Comp. Introd. to 2 Timothy. 
T[ Through your prayers. See Notes 
on 2 Cor. i. 11. He expected release 
in answer to the petitions of those 
who loved him, and the cause in 
which he was engaged. Comp. Notes 
on Acts xii. 5. 1 1 shall be given unto 
you. I shall be permitted to return 
to you, as a favor — x a P L<T ^ r} 'i cro l ULaL ' P au l 
had no doubt that Philemon would so 
regard it, and he had no apprehension 
that his* abiding with him w r ould be 
considered as a burden. 

23. There salute thee LJpaphras. The 
same persons who are here mentioned 
as greeting Philemon are mentioned 
in the close of the epistle to the 
Colossians — furnishing a high degree 
of evidence that Philemon resided at 
Colosse. Epaphras was a member of 
the Church there. See Notes on Col. 
iv. 12. %My fellow-prisoner in Christ 
Jesus. In the* cause of Christ. See 
Notes on ver. 1. The circumstance 
of his being a prisoner is not mention- 
ed in the parallel place in the epistle 
to the Colossians, but nothing is more 
probable. 

24. Marcus, Aristarchus, Dem.as, and 
Lucas. See Notes on the Epistle to 
the Colossians, iv. 10-14. 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



299 



24 Marcus,* Aristarclms, b Demas, 
c Lucas, my fellow-labourers. 

25 The d grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ ~be with your spirit. Amen. 

a Acts 12. 12,25. b Acts 19. 29. 

25. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
etc. See Notes 2 Tim. iv. 22. 

The subscription to the epistle is 
of no authority, but in this case is un- 
doubtedly correct. Compare the Re- 
marks at the close of 1 Corinthians 
and Titus. 

REM ASKS. 

Haying now passed through with 
the exposition of this epistle, it may 
he proper to copy, for comparison 
with it, one of the most beautiful 
specimens of epistolary composition 
to be found in profane literature, an 
epistle of Pliny, written on a similar 
occasion, and having a strong resem- 
blance to this. As a matter of taste, 
it is of importance to show that the 
sacred writers do not fall behind the 
most favorable specimens of literary 
composition to be found in uninspired 
writings. The epistle of Pliny was 
directed to his friend Sabinianus, in 
behalf of his manumitted slave who 
had offended him, and who was con- 
sequently cast out of his favor. ' It is 
in the following words : 

C. Plinius Sabiniano, S. 

Libertus tuus, cui succensere te dix- 
eras, venit ad me advolutusque pecli- 
bus meis, tanquam tuis, hassit. Flevit 
multum, multum rogavit, multum eti- 
am tacuit : in summa, fecit mihi fidem 
penitentise. Vere credo emendatum, 
quia deliquisse sentit. Irasceris scio ; 
et irasceris merito, id quoque scio : 
sed tunc prsecipua mansuetudinis laus, 
cumirse causa justissima est. Amasti 
hominem'; et spero amabis : interum 
sufficit ut exorari te sinas. Licebit 
rursus irasci, si meruerit : quod exo- 
ratus excusatius facies. 

Remitte aliquid adolescentise ipsius ; 
remitte lachrymis; remitte indulgen- 
tia3 tuse; ne torseris ilium, ne torseris 
etiam te. Torqueris enim cum tam 
lenis irasceris. Vereor, ne videar non 
rogare, sed cogere, si precibus ejus 
meas junxero. Jungam tamen tanto 
plenius et effusius, quanto ipsum acri- 
us sever iusque corripui, destricte 
minatus, nunquam me postea rogatu- 
rum. Hoc illi, quern terreri oporte- 
bat ; tibi non idem. Nam fortasse ite- 



Written from Home to Phil- 
emon, by Onesimus a serv- 
ant. 

c 2 Tim. 4. 11. d 2 Tim. 4. 22. 

rum rogabo, irnpetrabo iterum : sit 
mode tale, ut rogare me, ut prsestare 
te deceat. Vale. Epistolar., lib. ix., 
Ep.21. 

u Caius Pliny to Sabinianus, health: 

"Thy freedman, with whom thou 
didst say thou wert incensed, came 
to me, and, having thrown himself at 
my feet, grasped them as if they had 
been thine. He wept much; plead 
much; and yet pleaded more by his 
silence. In short, he fully convinced 
me that he was a penitent. I do sin- 
cerely believe that he is reformed, be- 
cause he perceives that he has dono 
wrong. I know that thou art incensed 
against him; and I know also that 
thou art justly so; but then clemency 
has its chief praise when there is the 
greatest cause for anger. Thou hast 
loved the man; and I hope that thou 
wilt love him again. In the mean 
time; it may suffice that thou dost suf- 
fer thyself to be entreated for him. It 
will be right for thee again to be of- 
fended if he deserves it ; because, hav- 
ing allowed thyself to be entreated, 
you will do it with greater propriety. 

"Forgive something for his youth ; 
forgive on account of his tears ; for- 
give on account of thine own kind- 
ness : do not torment him ; do not 
torment thyself— for thou wilt be tor- 
mented when thou, who art of so gen- 
tle a disposition, dost suffer thyself to 
be angry. I fear, if I should unite my 
prayers to his, that I should seem not 
to ask, but to compel. Yet I will 
write them, and the more largely and 
earnestly, too, as I have sharply and se- 
verely reproved him ; solemnly threat- 
ening him, should he offend again, 
never more to intercede for him. This 
I said to him, because it was neces- 
sary to alarm him ; but I will not say 
the same to thee. For perhaps I may 
again entreat thee, and again obtain, 
if now that shall be done which it is 
fit that I should ask and you concede. 
Farewell." 

Those who compare these two epis- 
tles, much as they may admire that 
of Pliny as a literary composition, and 
as adapted to secure the end which he 
had in view, will coincide with the re- 



300 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



mark of Doddridge, that it is much 
inferior to the letter of Paul. There 
is less courtesy — though there is. 
much ; there is less that is touching 
and tender — though there is much 
force in the pleading; and there is 
much less that is affecting in the man- 
ner of the appeal than in the epistle 
of the apostle. 

The epistle to Philemon, though 
the shortest that Paul wrote, and 
though pertaining to a private mat- 
ter in which the Church at large could 
not be expected to have any direct in- 
terest, is nevertheless a most interest- 
ing portion of the New Testament, 
and furnishes some invaluable lessons 
for the Church. 

I. It is a model of courtesy. It 
shows that the apostle was a man of 
refined sensibility, and had a delicate 
perception of what was due in friend- 
ship, and what was required by true 
politeness. There are turns of thought 
in this epistle which no one would 
employ who was not thoroughly un- 
der the influence of true courtesy of 
feeling, and who had not an exquisite 
sense of what was proper in a Chris- 
tian gentleman in his intercourse with 
others. 

II. The epistle shows that he had 
great tact in argument, and great skill 
in selecting just such things as would 
be adapted to secure the end in view. 
It would be hardly possible to accu- 
mulate, even in a" letter of fiction, 
more circumstances which would be 
fitted to accomplish the object which, 
he contemplated, than he has intro- 
duced into this short letter, or to ar- 
range them in a way better fitted to 
secure the desired result. If we re- 
member the state of mind in which it 
is reasonable to suppose Philemon 
was in regard to this runaway servant, 
and the little probability that a man 
in his circumstances would receive 
him with kindness again, it is impos- 
sible not to admire the address with 
which Paul approaches him. It is not 
difficult to imagine in what state of 
mind Philemon may have been, or the 
obstacles which it was necessary to 
surmount in order to induce him to 
receive Onesimus again — and especially 
to receive him as a Christian brother. 
If, as has been commonly supposed, 
Onesimus had been a slave; if he had 
run away from him ; if he had been 
intractable and disobedient ; if he had 
wronged him by taking property with 



him that did not belong to him, or if 
he had owed him, and had run off 
without paying him, it is not difficult 
for any one to imagine how great was 
the difficulty to be overcome in his 
mind before the object of Paul could 
be accomplished. This will be felt 
to be especially so if we bear in re- 
membrance the repugnance necessari- 
ly felt by a slaveholder to receive one 
who has been a slave as an equal in 
any respect, or to regard and treat such 
a one as a Christian brother on the 
same level with himself. Or if we 
suppose that Onesimus had been a 
voluntary servant employed by Phile- 
mon, and had failed to render the serv- 
ice which he had contracted to per- 
form, or had embezzled propertj% or 
had gone off in debt, greatly irritating 
the mind of his master, the difficulty 
to be overcome before he received him 
again would be little less. In either 
case it would be necessary to soothe 
his irritated feelings, and to inspire 
confidence in one who hitherto had 
evinced little claim to it, and to per- 
suade him now to receive one who 
had shown, in his former relation to 
him, that he was not to be trusted as 
a Christian brother. If the epistle be 
examined with reference to either of 
these suppositions, it will be found to 
be composed with the most finished 
tact and art. 

III. This epistle has been frequently 
appealed to by the friends and advo- 
cates of slavery as furnishing a sup- 
port or apology for that institution. 
Indeed, it would seem to be regarded 
by the advocates of that system as so 
clear on the point that all that they 
need to do is to name it as settling the 
whole matter in debate. The points 
which it is supposed by the advocates 
of that system to prove, are two : first, 
that slavery is right— since- it is as- 
sumed that Onesimus was a slave, and 
that Paul does not intimate to Phile- 
mon that the relation was contrary to 
the spirit of Christianity ; and second, 
that it is our duty to send back a run- 
away slave to his master — since it is 
assumed that Paul did this in the case 
of Onesimus. It can not be denied 
that this view of the matter would be 
sustained by most of the commentaries 
on the epistle, but it is time to inquire 
whether such an exposition is the true 
one, and whether the epistle really 
gives countenance to slavery in respect 
to these points. In order to this, it is 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



301 



important to know exactly what was 
the state of the case ; for in interpret- 
ing the New Testament it should not 
be assumed that any thing is in favor 
of slavery, nor should any thing be 
admitted to be in favor of it without 
applying the most rigid principles of 
interpretation, any more than in the 
case of profaneness, adultery, or any 
other sin. As the result of the exam- 
ination of the epistle, we are now pre- 
pared to inquire what countenance 
the epistle gives to slavery in these 
respects, and whether it can be fairly 
appealed to either in justification of 
the system, or in showing that it is a 
duty to return a runaway slave against 
his consent to his former master. To 
make out these points from the epis- 
tle, it would be necessary to "demon- 
strate that Onesimus was certainly a 
slave; that Paul so treats the subject 
as to show that he approved of the in- 
stitution ; that he sent back Onesimus 
against his own will ; that he returned 
him because he supposed he had done 
wrong by escaping from servitude; 
and that he meant that he should con- 
tinue to be regarded as a slave, and 
held as a slave, after his return to 
Philemon. Now, in regard to these 
points, I would make the following re- 
marks in view of the exposition which 
has been given of the epistle : * 

(1.) There is no positive evidence 
that Onesimus was a slave at all. See 
Notes on ver. 16. Even if it should 
be admitted to be probable that he was, 
it would be necessary, in order that 
this epistle should be adduced in fa- 
vor of slavery, that that fact should 
be made out without any ground of 
doubt, or the argument is worthless. 
It is clear that the epistle, under any 
circumstances, can be adduced in favor 
of slavery only so far as it is certain 
that Onesimus was a slave. But that 
is not ejgtain. It can not be made to 
be certain. It should not be taken 
for granted. Either of the supposi- 
tions, that he was bound to service till 
he was of age by a parent or guardian, 
or that he had voluntarily bound him- 
self to service for wages, will meet 
all that is necessarily implied in the 
epistle. 

(2.) There is not the least evidence 
that Paul used any force, or even per- 
suasion, to induce him to return to 
his master. It can not be proved 
from the epistle that he even advised 
him to return. It is certain that he 



| did not compel him to do it— for Paul 
j had no power to do this, and no guard 
I or civil officer accompanied Onesimus 
! to secure him if he attempted to es- 
j cape. Every one of the circumstances 
| mentioned in the epistle will be met 
1 by the supposition that Onesimus de- 
sired to return, but that there were cir- 
cumstances which made him appre- 
hensive that if he did he would! not 
be kindly received, and that at his re- 
quest Paul wrote the epistle to in- 
duce Philemon to receive him kindly. 
Nothing more can be proved ; noth- 
ing more is necessary to be believed, in 
order to a fair interpretation of the 
epistle. Nothing is more natural 
than the supposition that when Ones- 
imus was truly converted, he would 
desire to return to Philemon if he had 
in any way done him wrong. But to 
make it proper to adduce this epistle 
to show that it is a duty to return a 
runaway slave to his master, even on 
the supposition that Onesimus was a 
slave, it is necessary to prove either 
that Paul advised him to return, or 
that he compelled him to do it against 
his will. No one doubts that it would 
be right to help one who had escaped 
from slavery, if, on any proper ac- 
count, he should wish to go back to 
his former master: if he felt that he 
had wronged him, or if he had a wife 
and children in the neighborhood, or 
if he was satisfied that he could be 
more happy in his service than he 
could be elsewhere. To this point, 
and this only, this epistle goes. 

(3.) There is no evidence that Paul 
meant that Onesimus should return 
as a slave, or with a view to be re- 
tained and treated as -a, slave. Even 
supposing that he had been so for- 
merly, there is not the slightest inti- 
mation in the epistle that when he 
sent him back to his master he meant 
that he should throw himself into the 
chains of bondage again. Nor is there 
the slightest evidence that if he had 
supposed that this would be the re- 
sult, he would have even consented that 
he should return to his master. 'No 
man can take this epistle and prove 
from it that Paul would have sent him 
at all if he had supposed that the ef- 
fect would be that he would be re- 
duced to slavery and held in bond- 
age. If such had been his expecta- 
tion, he would never have written 
such a letter as this. The expression 
of such a desire would have found a 



302 



PHILEMON. 



[A.D. 64. 



place in the epistle; or at least the 
epistle would not have been so framed 
as almost of necessity to lead to a dif- 
ferent result. 

(4.) There is very satisfactory evi- 
dence, besides this, that he did not 
mean that Onesimus should be re- 
garded and treated by Philemon as a 
slave. It would be impossible for 
Philemon to comply with the wishes 
breathed forth in this letter, and meet 
exactly the desires of Paul in the case, 
and yet retain him as a slave, or re- 
gard him as property — as a " chattel" 
— as a '-'thing." For (a) if he had 
been formerly a slave ; if this is the 
fair meaning of the word dov\o$—dou- 
los — then this is expressly declared. 
Thus, in ver. 16, he is commanded to 
receive him " not now as a servant" — 
ovketl o>5 8ov\ov. If he had been a 
slave before, he did not wish that he 
should be received as such now, or 
regarded as such any longer. How 
could Philemon comply with the wish 
of the apostle, and yet regard Onesi- 
mus as a slave ? The very attempt to 
clo it would be directly in the face of 
the expressed desire of Paul, and ev- 
ery moment he held him as such he 
would be disregarding his wishes. 
(b) He desired him to receive and, 
treat him, in all respects, as a Chris- 
tian brother — as one redeemed — 
as a man — " Above a servant, a broth- 
er beloved.'''' How could he do this, 
and yet regard and treat him as a 
slave? Is it treating one as a Chris- 
tian brother to hold him as property ; 
to deprive him of freedom ; to con- 
sider him an article of merchandize ; 
to exact his labor without compensa- 
tion? Would the man himself who 
makes another a slave suppose that 
he was treated as a Christian brother 
if he were reduced to that condition ? 
Would he feel that his son was so re- 
garded if he was made a slave ? There 
is no way of reconciling these things. 
It is impossible for a master to regard 
his slave as, in the proper and full 
sense of the phrase, " a Christian broth- 
er^ He may, indeed, esteem him 
highly as a Christian ; he may treat 
him with kindness ; he may show 
&im many favors ; but — he regards him 
also as his slave ; and this fact makes 
a difference wide " as from the centre 
thrice to the utmost pole" in his feel- 
ings toward him and other Christians. 
He is not on a level with them as a 
Christian. The notion of his being 



his slave mingles with all his feelings 
toward him, and gives a coloring to 
all his views of him. He can not but 
feel, if he himself is under the influ- 
ence of religion, that that slave, if he 
were treated in all respects as a Chris- 
tian, would be as free as himself; 
would have a right to his time, and 
skill, and liberty; would be permit- 
ted to form his own plans, and to en- 
joy the avails of his own labor; and 
would be secure from the possibility 
of being sold, (c) Suppose now that 
Paul, after a short interval, had actu- 
ally come to the residence of Phile- 
mon, as he expected to (ver. 22), and 
had found him regarding and treat- 
ing Onesimus as a slave; would he 
have felt that Philemon had complied 
with his wishes ? Did he ask this of 
him? Did he not request just the 
contrary ? Ver. 16. Would it not be 
natural for him to say to him that he 
had not received him as he wished 
him to ? And how would Philemon 
reply to this ? 

(5.) The principles laid down in 
this epistle would lead to the univer- 
sal abolition of slavery. If all those 
who are now slaves were to become 
Christians, and their masters were 
to treat them "not as slaves, but as 
brethren beloved," the period would 
not be far distant when slavery would 
cease. This probably will be admit- 
ted by all. But a state of things 
which would be destroyed by the 
widest prevalence of Christianity, is 
not right at any time. Christianity, 
in its highest influences, interferes 
with nothing that is good, and would 
annihilate nothing which is not wrong. 
That which is true and best for the 
welfare of man will survive when the 
true religion spreads over all the 
world ; and to say, as is commonly « 
admitted even b}^ the advocates of 
slavery, that Christianity will ulti- 
mately destroy the system, ifc to say 
that it is now wrong— -for Christianity 
destroys nothing which is in itself 
right, and nothing which is desirable 
for the highest good of man. It will 
destroy intemperance and idolatry, 
and superstition and war — because 
they are evil and wrong— and only 
because they are wrong ; and for the 
same reason, and that onty, will it 
abolish slavery. When a man, there- 
fore, admits that the Gospel will ul- 
timately destroy slavery, he at the 
same time admits that it is now an 



A.D. 64.] 



PHILEMON. 



303 



evil and a sin. The Gospel is adapted 
and designed to put an end to the 
system. It did annihilate it in the 
Roman empire, and its tendency ev- 
ery where is to secure its final aboli- 
tion. The system, therefore, is evil. 
It is opposed to the spirit of religion. 
It is destructive of the welfare of so- 
ciety. It is a violation of human 
rights. It is contrary to the will of 
God. The Gospel every where teach- 
es us to regard the slave "no longer 
as a slave, but as a brother; 1 ' and 



when this is secured, the system must 
speedily come to an end. For this, 
and for all its other anticipated influ- 
ences, we should labor and pray that 
the Gospel may be diffused as speed- 
ily as possible all over the world ; 
that it may raise man every where 
from his degradation, and invest ev- 
ery human being with the dignity of 
a freeman ; that it may " loose the 
bands of wickedness, undo the heavy 
burdens, let the oppressed go free, 
and break every yoke." Isa. lviii. 6. 



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